Areas
of Teaching
Educational Psychology, General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Counseling Skills, Primary Education, Early Childhood Education, Qualitative Research Methods, Stress Management and Counseling in Organizations in University of Colombo undergraduate, postgraduate degree and postgraduate diploma courses such as, Bachelor of Education, Postgraduate Diploma in Education, Post Graduate Diploma in Counseling, Master of Education, Master of Philosophy, Master of Chemistry Education, Master of Physics Education, Master of Mathematics Education, Bachelors of Information Technology, Master of Business Administration
Areas
of Research Interests
- Improving Multigrade teaching in Sri Lanka and comparative perspectives
of multigrade teaching across the world.
- Psychology of cognition through a Buddhist perspective
- Teaching and learning in Higher Education contexts
- Collaborative action research with practitioners
- Innovations to support skillful parenting to support child upbringing
practices in Sri Lanka
Awards and Grants
- Visiting Scholar, US institute for Scholars and Secondary Educators,
6 weeks, Sponsored by USA State Department, 2011
- Travel and hospitality award from University of Leipzig/Germany
and Cape Peninsula University/South Africa to make conference presentations,
2009
- Official Representative of SLAAS, Indian Science Congress in 2008
- Travel and hospitality grant by UNICEF Eritrea to lead the teacher
training on Multigrade teaching, 2008
- Travel and hospitality awards and sponsorships from Aga Khan Education
Service/Pakistan, 2006
- Recipient of a research grant to the University of Colombo to conduct
a study as an extension of the doctoral study conducted on Multigrade
teaching. Functioned as the Coordinator, of the research team for
the study titled ' Multigrade Teaching: An Investigation (Phase 2),
A collaborative international study between Institute of Education
of the University of London; Faculty of Education of University of
Colombo, and CERID of Tribhuvan University, Nepal) funded by Department
for International Development (DFID), UK, 2003-2006
- Scholarship awarded by the Institute of Education, University of
London/DFID for a PhD in Multigrade teaching in small schools, 1999
Involvement
with other organizations
- A member of the team of resource persons on course design and teaching
on the collaborative teacher education program between Faculty of
Education, University of Colombo and the British Council titled 'Diploma
in Global Teacher Education' 2011
- External examiner for PhD thesis, Faculty of Education, University
of New England Australia, 2011
- External examiner for PhD thesis, Department of Education, Periyar
University, Tamil Nadu, India, 2011
- Resource person for staff development at University of Moratuwa,
2008, 2009
- Resource person, Ministry of Education, EFA Mid Decade Assessment.
2008
- Resource person for the study titled 'Towards an understanding of
child mental health in Sri Lanka'. A collaborative study with Birkbeck
College, University of London and University of Colombo. 2007-2010.
- Secretary of the SLAAS Corporate Plan committee, 2007, 2008, 2009,
2010, 2011
- Secretary of the Buildings Committee, SLAAS 2008.2009, 2010, 2011
- A member of the Science Education Committee, SLAAS, 2006 and 2007
- Secretary of the Section F (Social Sciences) SLAAS, 2004 and 2005.
- A member of the Committee for Popularization of Science, SLAAS 2004/2005.
- Joint Secretary, "Prof. J.E. Jayasuriya Memorial Foundation" From
1997 to 2005
- Resource person, Research Department, National Institute of Education.
Maharagama, Sri Lanka
- Rapporteur of SLAAS Section F, 1998, 1999
- Visiting Lecturer in Counseling Psychology for Advanced Diploma
in Counselling Psychology, at the American College of Higher Education
since 2004 to date
- Curriculum Developer and Visiting Lecturer (on voluntary basis)
in Developmental Psychology and Buddhist Psychology for Diploma in
Counselling at the Damrivi Foundation, Isipathna Mawatha, Colombo
4 from 2003 to 2008
- Visiting Lecturer in Educational Psychology, Advanced Certificate
in Teaching for Maldivian teacher trainees, National Institute of
Education. Maharagama, 2002- 2004
Executive
and other positions on boards of international, national organizations
- Member of the Board of Management, National Education Research and
Evaluation Centre (NEREC), University of Colombo, 2011
- President, Section F (Social Sciences), Sri Lanka Association for
the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) 2011
- A member of the Council of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement
of Science (SLAAS) 2006 to date
- A member of the Academic Committee of the Staff Development Centre,
University of Colombo, 2011
- General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement
of Science (SLAAS), 2006, 2007, 2008
- A member of the Academic Committee of the National Institute of
Library and Information Sciences (NILIS), 2006-2011, University of
Colombo.
Editorial
work
- A member of the Editorial Board, South Africa Rural Educator, online
international journal, 2011
- A member of the Editorial Board, University of Colombo Review, since
2005
- Reviewer, International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier,
2010 todate
- Reviewer, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood. Symposium Journals,
2010
- Reviewer, OUSL 30th Anniversary International Conference, 2010
- Reviewer of the Colombo Business Journal: International Journal
of Theory and Practice, published by the Faculty of Management and
Finance, University of Colombo since 2008
Chapters
and web documents
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. (2010) ‘We are passing through the stage
of early childhood in Action research': A review of the development
of Action research at the Faculty of Education, University of Colombo,
Sri Lanka.. Paper submitted for publication NIE/CARN Study Days, .
http://www.esri.mmu.ac.uk/carnnew/studydays/2010
- Vithanapathirana, M,V. (2010) Volitional action as a personality
construct: A comparison between the Buddhist view and the Cognitive-social
perspective in western psychology. Submitted for publication in the
Prof. K. Sinnathamby felicitation volume.
- Vithanapathirana, M. V. (2006) Adapting the primary mathematics
curriculum to the multigrade classroom in rural Sri Lanka. In A. Little
(Ed.) Education For All and Multigrade Teaching: challenges and opportunities.
Amsterdam: Springer 2006
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. Research based training modules for Multigrade
Teachers. Published in www.ioe.ac.uk/multigrade and also published
by Open University of United Kingdom for the Teacher Education in
Sub-Saharan Africa 2006/07, portal for Resources for Distance Research
and Development training in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. (2004) Multigrade teaching in rural Sri Lanka:
Prevalence, invisibility and necessity. Professor. S. Sandrasegaram
Felicitation Volume
Technical
Reports
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. (2006) Team leader and author of the national
study "Development of a Programme for Remedial and Diagnostic Programme
for Primary Students" sponsored by GTZ. National Education Research
and Evaluation Centre (NEREC), University of Colombo
- Little, A. W., Pridmore, P., Bajracharya, H and Vithanapathirana,
M.V. (2006) Learning and Teaching in Multigrade Settings, Final report
on project LATIMS to DFID. http://ioe.ac.uk/multigrade
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. (2002) Concept paper for the SAARC conference
on Small schools, by invitation of the Secretary, Ministry of Education,
Sri Lanka, 2002
- Gunawardena, C., Wijetunga, S., Gunawardena, R., Wickramaratne,
V., Karunasena, N. V., Vithanapathirana, M. and Leelaratne, S. (2002).
A Study to Investigate the Effectiveness of Implementation of Reforms
at Key Stage I of Primary Cycle in Sri Lanka. National Education Research
and Evaluation Centre (NEREC), University of Colombo.
- Dias, S., Peiris, A., Gunawardena, S., Karunaratne, S and Vithanapathirana,
M.(2001) A study of teacher focused interventions to strengthen the
implementation of curriculum in Grade 1. National Institute of Education,
Sri Lanka
Conference
Papers
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. ( 2011) Improving non-cognitive skills of
learners: a priority in post-war contexts ,Proceedings of the International
Symposium on Post war Economic Development through Science, Technology
and Management, South Eastern University, Sri Lanka
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. ( 2010) Multigrade Innovations in Sri Lanka:
Challenges of Scaling up. Proceedings of the Southern African Multigrade
Education Conference, Cape Peninsula University, Cape town, South
Africa. Netherland Institute for Curriculum development, Netherlands
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. ( 2010)Teacher isolation in one teacher,
two teacher schools: Haven't we ignored for too long. Proceedings
of the 12th International Conference on Sri Lanka Studies, Royal Asiatic
Society of Sri Lanka
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. (2009) Diagnostic Testing of Learning Difficulties
and Remedial Education Intervention for Improving Teaching and Learning
in Primary Classes in Sri Lanka". Proceedings of the international
conference on "Historical Aspects of Psychology - with Special Reference
to the 130 th Anniversary of the Psychological Institute in Leipzig"
and "Learning and Adjustment Disorders - with Special Reference to
Disaster Affected Regions". Germany, Leipzig University
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. (2008) "Developing the quality of education
in small schools through multigrade teaching: a teacher education
initiative" , Proceedings of the Academic Sessions University of Colombo,
2008
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. (2007) Remedial intervention as a means of
improve learning, National Symposium on Quality Improvement of School
Education System. Faculty of Education, University of Colombo/Ministry
of Education
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. ( 2006) Improving Multigrade Teaching: Action
Research with Teachers in Rural Sri Lanka, Proceedings of the International
Conference titled 'Quality in Education Teaching and Leadership in
Challenging Times', Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. ( 2004) Multigrade teaching in primary grades
in rural schools, Proceedings of Annual Sessions of Sri Lanka Association
for the Advancement of Science
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. ( 2004) Action research intervention for
teaching of primary mathematics in a multigrade setting, Proceedings
of the Annual Sessions of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement
of Science
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. ( 2001) Teaching approaches in Primary Education.
National Seminar on Primary Education, National Institute of Education,
Sri Lanka
Unpublished
Theses
- Vithanapathirana, M.V. (2005) Improving multigrade teaching: Action
research with teachers in rural Sri Lanka. Unpublished PhD thesis,
Institute of Education, University of London.
Other responsibilities
- Currently supervising 2 Phd Students, 3 MPhil students and MEd students
- Faculty of Education team leader on Soft Skills development on the HETC project , University of Colombo, 2010-2012
- Served as the Department Coordinator and a Domain Coordinator of the Core group of the Self Evaluation for the Institutional Review, University of Colombo, 2010
- Co-ordinator, MPhil/PhD program of the Library and Information Science, Member of Higher Degrees Committee, NILIS, University of Colombo, since 2007
- Coordinator Master of Education (English medium)programme 2011-2012
- Co-ordinator, Postgraduate Diploma in Education (English medium) Part time course 2002 to 2009, Faculty of Education, University of Colombo.
