http://ir.lib.seu.ac.lk/handle/123456789/7488 ASRS 2024 2026-05-16T07:30:36Z http://ir.lib.seu.ac.lk/handle/123456789/7617 Challenges faced by teachers in implementing the process of inclusive education in Batticaloa District Schools Abilash, K.; Hassan, N. M. Inclusive education is considered a lofty goal that every country should strive to achieve. However, implementation of inclusive education and related policies remains difficult in developing countries like Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study is based on knowing the challenges faced by teachers in implementing inclusive education, especially in Batticaloa area and to improve the quality of teaching in the future. The purpose of this study is to examine the strengths, weaknesses and challenges in the implementation of inclusive education within government schools in Batticaloa District. This study was conducted in five educational zones in Batticaloa District. Five consultants for special education, 05 principals, 120 class teachers, 300 subject teachers, 25 students and 25 parents were selected from five zones and five government schools in Batticaloa district on the basis of purposive sampling and random sampling. Questionnaires, interviews and documents were used as data collection tools to get information from them. Also, data was collected through group discussions with subject teachers. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software. Reinforcement of appropriate practices, lack of parental support, peer teacher-student interaction, teacher skills, teaching methods, curriculum adaptation, assessment and student achievement, social attitudes towards disabilities, heavy workload, government attitude, proper classroom technique, lack of safe infrastructure, resource allocation, several challenges were identified related to inconsistency in implementing the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and inadequate explanation of SNE to teachers. However, IE policies should be developed at the school level to facilitate IE practices. The study recommended improving school infrastructure, enhancing funding for inclusive education (IE), organizing specialized training for teachers, and conducting further research on student achievement, skills development, ICT integration, and resource management. Future studies should focus on enhancing student achievement, developing students' soft and hard skills, integrating information communication technology (ICT), and improving resource management in inclusive education (IE) schools. 2024-11-06T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.seu.ac.lk/handle/123456789/7616 Substitute for coir dust in the potting mixture of coconut (Cocos nucifera) polybag seedlings Dissanayake, D. M. G. C.; Warnasooriya, W. M. R. S. K.; Herath, U. S.; Thilakarathna, M. T. H. Quality seedlings are vital for productive coconut cultivation. Polybagged coconut seedlings are ideal planting materials as they are superior in quality to conventional bare-rooted seedlings. The recommended potting mixture of polybag consists of topsoil, cow dung, and coir dust in a 1:2:3 ratio, featuring a significant amount of coir dust. However, the high export potential of coir dust has rendered it a limited and scarce resource in Sri Lanka. The present study has identified alternative materials as substitutes for coir dust in the potting mixture of coconut polybag seedlings. Three month-old coconut seedlings of variety CRIC 60 with similar sprout length were established in polybags filled with five different media; T1: coir dust, T2: sawdust, T3: half-burned paddy husk, T4: paddy husk and T5: paddy straw in combination with soil: cow dung in 3:1:2 ratio. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates. Days taken for the emergence of the first leaf, morphological characteristics of the seedlings, relative chlorophyll content of leaves, and soil properties were recorded. Data were analyzed using the Analysis of Variance procedure in R software. Stem girth, seedling height, length and width of leaves, and relative chlorophyll content of leaves were not significantly (p>0.05) different among treatments two months after transplanting. Soil pH and electrical conductivity of potting mixtures were in the desirable range in all treatments. In conclusion, freely available sawdust, paddy straw, and paddy husk can effectively be incorporated into the potting mixture of coconut polybag seedlings as a low-cost substitute for coir dust. Soil nutrient analysis is suggested before any recommendation. 2024-11-06T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.seu.ac.lk/handle/123456789/7615 Synthesis and characterization of PVP/Cu2+ based solid polymer electrolyte for rechargeable batteries Paranagama, D. G. S. P.; Zainudeen, U. L.; Najitha, A. R. The growing need for sustainable and efficient energy technology has propelled notable progress in the field of rechargeable batteries. Electrolytes are the essential part of rechargeable battery systems which are responsible for stability and reversibility of the battery. Rechargeable batteries that use traditional organic liquid electrolytes have been linked to a number of safety problems in recent years. Because of this, solid polymer electrolytes which have the advantages of shape adaptability, flexibility, stability, low weight, and cheap manufacturing costs are being researched as viable alternatives to the organic liquid electrolytes that are currently used in rechargeable batteries. In this study, pure and different concentrations of Cu2+ ion-doped polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have been prepared by solution casting method. The formation of complexes between the polymer and Cu2+ ions has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The highest ionic conductivity of 10.70×10-4 S cm-1 has been observed in the 15% Cu2+ ions doped PVP electrolyte at room temperature. The ionic conductivity of the best electrolyte has been further enhanced by nanofiller effect. 0.2% TiO2 nanofiller incorporated 15% PVP/Cu2+ electrolyte sample has become the most suitable SPE for rechargeable batteries and it shows a maximum ionic conductivity of 1.65×10-3 S cm-1. According to thermal stability test, 60 ⁰C could be considered an optimal operating temperature for the rechargeable battery using this fabricated SPE. 2024-11-06T00:00:00Z http://ir.lib.seu.ac.lk/handle/123456789/7614 Dual layer of electron transport layer in Sb2S3 solid state solar cell Farhana, M. A.; Bandara, J. The electron transport layer (ETL) is a key component specially in planar structure solar cells. It is used to collect the electrons and reduce the recombination losses. ETL is chosen by considering the conductance, electrical trap density, and energy bandgap. Thus, TiO2 and CdS are widely used as ETL in solar cells. Some simulation studies show the possibility of efficient solar cells minimizing or eliminating traditional electron transport material. However, the reported efficiencies are less compared to the efficiency of solar cells that use ETL. In this study, we developed the Sb2S3 solar cells due to the potential of Sb2S3 semiconductor material. The CdS solution was prepared by adding thiourea (TU) and cadmium acetamide (Cd(ac)) in 2-methoxyethanol and stirring until they completely dissolved. Likewise, a TiO2 precursor solution was prepared by mixing titanium isopropoxide and di-ethanolamine in butan-1-ol. The CdS was spin-coated on the TiO2 layer to prepare the dual-layer ETL while TiO2 was used as a single ETL. Also, the thickness of CdS was controlled by the spinning speed of 2500, 3000, and 3500 rpm. The use of a dual ETL enhanced the charge collection hence, the performance of solar cells was improved compared to the single ETL. The increasing efficiency was observed up to a certain spinning speed of CdS then it was reduced. At 3000 rpm speed of CdS, the highest efficiency of 2.23% was achieved for dual layer ETL. This efficiency was nearly two times greater than a single ETL in our configuration. 2024-11-06T00:00:00Z