Abstract:
Transition from secondary education to tertiary education pose a major challenge to many
students who undergo not only a change in the medium of instruction but also a pedagogical
shift from traditional Teacher Centered Learning (TCL) in the classroom to Student Centered
Learning (SCL). In Sri Lanka, English language, generally perceived negatively as ‘kaduwa’,
being the current Academic Lingua Franca further discourages many students who have
previously studied in their mother tongue, Sinhala or Tamil. Particularly, during the first
semester of the academic year, as cited in Hassanbeigi et al (2011), students often encounter
problems related to concentration, memory, note taking, test strategies, test anxiety, motivation
and attitude, reading and selecting major ideas, organizing and processing information and time
management which result in underachievement and failure. In this context, the research aims
to determine the implications of effective Study Skills instruction to foster positive academic
mindset towards SCL in First-year students.
In this action research, a sample group of 150 first-year students from Higher National Diploma
in English course of Advanced Technological Institute- Kegalle, a statutory tertiary education
body, were selected from two batches. Initially a Study Skills self-assessment test was given to
the participants followed by a series of lectures conducted on note taking, critical reading and
essay writing and presentation skills. Simultaneously, scores of two assignments given for two
course modules in the first-year first semester were evaluated. The same procedure was repeated
for the participants for the next batch followed by practice sessions with more emphasis on
collaborative learning. At the end of each semester, a post self-assessment test was conducted
along with face to face interviews with six lecturers of the particular modules. Majority of the
participants perceived Study Skills as a positive step in enhancing academic performance and
self-confidence of students. While Study Skill instruction with lectures failed to bring a
significant change in the assignment scores, with practice sessions including collaborative
learning activities the participants managed to improve considerably. Therefore, it was evident
that Study Skill instruction coupled with collaborative learning is more effective in creating a
positive attitude towards learning in SCL environment and enhancing academic performance
of the students in their first semester of the academic year.
