The Department of Education was established in 1949 while the University of Ceylon was functioning in Colombo. In 1957 the department was moved to Peradeniya. The first ever Bachelor of Education (B. Ed) degree programme in Sri Lanka was introduced by the Department in 1964. The B. Ed programme of Peradeniya produced eminent scholars and practitioners who contributed immensely to the development of the education system of Sri Lanka. However, with the rationalization of courses and resources in Universities under the Jayarathne committee recommendations the programmes and the resources of the Departments of Education at Peradeniya, Colombo, Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara universities were amalgamated to establish the Faculty of Education at the University of Sri Lanka, Colombo campus in 1975. Thus the Department of Education at Peradeniya ceased to function from 1975 -1979. With the implementation of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 and the restoration of the autonomy of the universities, the Department of Education was re-established at Peradeniya in 1979. However, the Bachelor of Education programme had not been reintroduced.

The B. Ed. programme will provide the general education system of Sri Lanka will trained Graduates to teach in the secondary as well as primary schools. The introduction of a B. Ed. degree programme will also contribute to enhancing the employability of graduates who enroll in the Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya by providing opportunities to the undergraduates to follow a professional degree programme.

A unique feature of the new B. Ed. programme is the interdisciplinary nature of its design. The subject content knowledge of the B.Ed. graduates derives from the disciplines of humanities and the social sciences as well as from the science based disciplines. These two strands of subjects are categorized as Teaching Area 1 and Teaching Area 2. Teaching Area 1 consists of Humanities and Social science subjects whereas Teaching Area 2 subjects consists of natural science based subjects.

Accordingly the B. Ed. graduates that we plan to develop will be specifically qualified to teach one Arts/Commerce subject at the secondary level and to teach one of the much needed subject areas where there is a dearth of qualified teachers in the junior secondary level (6-11 grades) such as Mathematics, Science, Information and Communication Technology (ICT). They will also possess basic skills and understanding in ‘Practical technical skills’ and ‘Health and Physical Education’. Although there are adequate number of teachers in the general education system with average Pupil /Teacher ratio of 18 (School Census, 2006) there is a deficiency of teachers who are professionally qualified to teach the above mentioned subjects which are given priority in modernization of school curricula. Therefore there is a great demand for such teachers in government schools especially in rural areas.  The B. Ed. graduates will fulfill at least a part of such demand. Furthermore, they will provide leadership in bringing about change and innovations to the teaching at the secondary school level and primary level.

Aims, Objectives and Intended learning outcomes of the programme

The programme aims to prepare teachers who are well informed, competent, and creative professionals. Theteachers will have an understanding of the key concepts andprinciples of teaching and learning and should be able to design, implement, analyze and theories key instructionalprocesses. To achieve this aim following objectives have been set.

 Objectives:

The B. Ed programme is designed to prepare student teachers to:

  1. have specific knowledge and skills to teach at least two secondary school subjects (one each from two sets of teaching areas) ;
  2. be aware of and sensitive to the needs, abilities, interests and aptitudes of students in schools;
  3. be able to teach students of different abilities, interests and backgrounds effectively and creatively;
  4. be committed to the development of the students in their charge; and
  5. be committed to self-initiated and sustained professional development.

Learning outcomes

Table 2 sets out the Intendedlearning outcomes of the programme and related course components and activities which will facilitate their achievement.

Desired programme outcomes and related course components/activities

After successful completion of the programme B. Ed. Graduates will be able to:  

Programme outcomes Related Course components
Apply education theory and practices in teaching and learning situations in diverse educational settings. Compulsory courses,  Optionals, Discussions, individual and group activities, School observations, Community projects teaching practice and action research project
Demonstrate a range of generic skills for education (Communication skills, general ICT skills as well as skills in using ICT in instruction, critical thinking and problem solving skills, interpersonal skills necessary for working collaboratively with children, parents, peers and superiors, skills necessary for managing self and time, and learning to learn). Classroom discussions, individual and group presentations, seminars, organizing and participating in co – curricular activities, project work and research.
demonstrate classroom  teaching related skills which include:Planning instruction and designing learning experiencesCreating and maintaining effective environment for student learning.Managing student behaviorOrganizing classroom space,Assessing student learning and providing feedbackSkills necessary to be a reflective practitioner.Identifying learning difficulties and remediation.Effective instructional skills     Group activities in classrooms, Simulations of classroom teaching, Demonstration lessons, Action research and supervised teaching practice in schools for 12 weeks and reflective accounts.
demonstrate professional behavior, which include :critical reflection (thoughtful consideration of one’s own actions         and their effects) Maintaining accurate recordsCommunicating with families and parentsContributing to the school / organizationEngage  professionally with colleagues, parents/custodians and the community   Action Research project and teaching practice, Assignments Community Project
demonstrate dispositions which include Positive expectations towards all students.an attitude of acceptance and trust towards school community love of teaching and learning treating all students equally and fairlya willingness to collaborate as part of the educational team and wider community Teaching practice, Action research, co-curricular activities Community Project
Use the content knowledge and understanding of one or more subject disciplines to design and implement effective instructional programmes at schools. Teaching Area 1 and Teaching Area 2  subjects, Instructional methodology and teaching practice

 The Graduate profile

The Bachelor of Education graduate will be a competent and creative professional who will use his/her understanding of the subject content, educational theories and concepts and knowledge of children  and their development as well as pedagogy to design and implement effective instructional processes in the secondary school.

Target group (Required Qualifications)

Selection to the B. Ed. programme takes place at the beginning of second year based on the GPA achieved in the first year by the students who followed 100 level courses offered by the Faculty of Arts. The final decision to admit a student to follow the Special Degree in Education is made by the Department of Education after considering:

  • The GPA level of the candidate, the minimum GPA required is 2.7 and the Department will stipulate the exact cutoff GPA level depending on the demand for the programme in the particular academic year.
  • The maximum number of students who will be selected for the BEd programme per discipline in teaching area 1 and 2 will be decided by the department.
  • Whether the student has earned six 100 level credits in a discipline categorized under Teaching Area 1

Duration of the programmes

The B. Ed. is a four year degree programme.

The academic entity responsible for conducting the programme.

The Department of Education, Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya