Browsing by Author "Gunarathne, D."

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Knowledge on first aid among non-medical undergraduates of University of Peradeniya
    (Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Gunarathne, D.; Hemakeerthi, C.; Hashoora, F.; Hemal, H.; GunathiIake, D.; Gunarathne, R.; Chavindra, D.; Geekiyanage, D.; Herath, H.; Gunarathne, K.
    Introduction: Knowledge on first aid is paramount in modem day’s world. University students are one of the best group of advocates to spreading knowledge and implementing correct first aid practices in the society. Objectives: To assess the level and adequacy of knowledge among first year undergraduates of University of Peradeniya, to determine whether the knowledge differs by the faculty of study and to determine the sources from which students gained their knowledge on first aid. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 239 randomly selected first year undergraduates from 8 faculties in the University of Peradeniya, excluding the Faculty of Medicine. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The adequacy of knowledge was assessed according to the marks obtained for the questionnaire. Results: Of the participants, 71.4% had adequate knowledge on first aid. There was a significant association between adequacy of knowledge between students and the type of faculty they belong. The adequacy of knowledge in students from faculties related to biology stream was significantly higher than the students from other faculties. (p=0.018) The commonest source of obtaining knowledge on first aid was family and friends. Conclusions: Knowledge on first aid among students from faculties that are not related biology is not adequate. Implementing workshops and training programs on first aid, tailor made to each faculty is recommended to improve the knowledge on first aid.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Learner Beliefs on Learning English as A Second Language: A Study of Undergraduates in The University of the Visual and Performing Arts
    (Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Samarakoon, S.; Gunarathne, D.
    A large body of research has been conducted in the area of language learning beliefs, across the world. Beliefs inevitably matters in the pragmatic aspect of language learning. If learners are driven by misconceptions of language learning, the performance in class might be really low. Teachers’ consciousness about English language teaching is also reflected in the methods utilized in class. Research indicates that individual students differ considerably in their use of learning strategies. Elaine Horwit, who developed the Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) was the first to conduct a systematic research into the nature of language learning beliefs. The theoretical framework of BALLI is based on five major components pertaining to language learning; foreign language aptitude, the difficulty in language learning, nature of (English) language learning, learning and communication strategies and motivation. In order to collect data, a questionnaire survey was conducted with a group of 30 ESL learners in the University of the Visual and Performing Arts. The sample group is little exposed to English since their medium of instruction is Sinhala and most of them come from rural backgrounds. The gathered data was statistically analyzed and several significant findings were revealed. According to the survey, it was found out the subjects believe that it is easy to learn a foreign language at a young age. The majority agreed that they have the ability to achieve proficiency in English. All the female participants believe that women are better than men at learning. Most of the subjects maintain a neutral opinion on learning English grammar. All the participants agreed that they want to learn English and believe that they will have better job opportunities if they learn English well. However, all the participants agreed that it is not necessary to be able to speak in English to live in Sri Lanka. It appears that this questionnaire is a valid instrument that can be applied to the Sri Lankan context to a great extent, despite its limitations. In order to make it more applicable to the Sri Lankan context, slight modifications should be done to make sure that the questions mirror the role played by culture, social background, discipline of study and field of work, in shaping beliefs of English language learners in Sri Lanka.