PGIHS-RC 2023
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- Item“Was king Milinda indo-Greek Menander?”: re-examination of Milindapañha in the light of the numismatic, epigraphic and archaeological evidence(Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2023-12-15) Jayasekara, K.M.M.P.The Buddhist literary text, the Milindapañha, where a philosophical discussion takes place between a Yavana monarch named Milinda and a Buddhist monk named Nagasena, has impelled modern scholars to raise debates about whether to identify the Indo-Greek King Menander with King Milinda mentioned in the text. In a whirl of controversies, the literary, numismatic, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence -the extensive successful studies on Indo-Greek coins led by Osmund Bopearachchi have contributed to a greater understanding of the existence of the Indo-Greek King Menander and how he established his reign within the middle of the second century BCE (165-130) and indicated glimpses of such a conversation. However, the same evidence leaves the matter of identifying King Menander with Milinda in obscurity. Textual evidence from sources such as the Milindapañha and the Monk Nagasena Sutra, which in modern scholarship are considered the most prominent Eastern literary sources to mention a Western King, remains controversial. Thus, it raises several questions regarding the King who is depicted in these literary sources. This study provides new pedagogical information to current studies to resolve the conflict that exists in previous studies regarding the Milindapañha and King Milinda-King Menander by identifying new verifiable textual evidence about King Milinda. Incorporating new evidence, the study argues that a considerable amount of the portrayal of King Milinda of the Milindapañha is compiled based on speculation and conjecture, for Milindu Raja Katha from the Saddharmarathnakaraya corresponds to the Chinese version of the Monk Nagasena Sutra. While answering several other questions, such as when and why the existing Pāli text extended and why the scholars have not incorporated the Milindu Raja Katha from the Saddharmarathnakaraya in their studies about King Milinda and dialogue between him and sage Nagasena, this study identifies King Milinda as King Menander but contests the arguments in modern scholarship, particularly regarding the last phase of the life of King Menander. This qualitative historical analysis is nursed by two major research methodologies: record-keeping, where existing reliable documents and similar sources of information are used as data sources and secondary research method, where data is collected in the form of notes. In the textual analysis, the similarities and differences are identified by examining the content and structure of the literary sources, following a comparative mode. This examined data is further compared and contrasted with, and parallels are drawn from, numismatic, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence.
- ItemAnger and anger management: A comparative study of Achilles’ menis/cholos in homer’s Iliad and Kodha in Theravada Buddhist scriptures(Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2023-12-15) Edirisinghe, V.; Ekanayake, A.The destructive nature of anger has been known to the ancients and modern alike. Even though anger has been a subject of discussion and study throughout the history of Eastern and Western human civilizations, the management of anger continues to challenge the outraged and anger management specialists alike. In this context, a revisit of ancient literature will yield time-tested practical wisdom on the topic that will be useful in current manifestations of the phenomenon. In Homer’s epic Iliad (9th-8th Century BCE), the Menis/Cholos of Achilles is explored at different stages - onset, progression, full-blown development, and resolution. Achilles’ wrath (Menis) – for which he and his fellow Greeks pay dearly - is unheroic and inhuman (Cholos) and results from perceived personal injury at the hands of his superior Agamemnon. Achilles’ wrath is tested against King Priam’s generosity towards him - the man who killed his heroic son and denied a funeral – leading to the turning point in Achilles’ life in coming to terms with life’s realities and leading to the acceptance of good and bad with equanimity. From a didactic perspective, references to anger (Kodha) in Theravada Buddhist scripture inevitably focus on the self-destructive nature of anger and the need to avoid both anger and pride to eliminate suffering. It is indeed pride and resultant anger that drive Achilles to insanity. The Theravada scriptures focus on overcoming anger by non-anger and the importance of loving kindness in soothing it, as is exemplified by King Priam in the Homeric poem. The objective of this study is to highlight the similarity between Menis/Cholos and Kodha. It adopts as its methodology a comparison of Achilles’ wrath and references to anger in Theravada Buddhist Scripture. The study reveals that the anger of Achilles in the Homeric poem resembles the references to the causes and the nature of anger and the loving-kindness path to its resolution in Theravada Buddhist scripture. The study recommends using the story of Achilles’ wrath to illustrate the Theravada Buddhist concept of anger to non-Buddist audiences.
- ItemTransformative paradigm research agenda: A review of selling approaches in a high-involvement purchase situation(Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2023-12-15) Lenaduwa L.L.Y.R.; Eranda B.A.N.Transformative research contributes to solving societal problems and is characterised by an explicit aspiration to get involved. In 2007, Mertens suggested that the transformative paradigm encapsulates the positions of researchers who question constructivist-oriented approaches. The aim is to catalyse change processes and involve social actors in the research process actively. This way, transformative research generates ‘socially robust’ knowledge needed for sustainability transitions. Thus, the study follows a transdisciplinary concept of knowledge. It serves to generate systems knowledge and integrates people in generating target knowledge transformation in concrete settings of societal norms transitions to sustainability. A review of extant literature has been carried out in selling approaches in high-involvement purchase situations. The purpose of this study is to contend that when it comes to social issues, the researcher intends to understand, interpret and make sense of the people who are involved and have an equal participatory pedestal to contribute to the research’s planning, process and output. High involvement happens when a person anticipates the purchase, having personal relations to it with an increased risk. Thus, economic or social risk may overcome the purchase decision, indicating high involvement, where the consumer spends much time searching for buying. The reason for this is to increase risk and collect information about it. Such highly involved products are associated with emotional appeal, functional evidence and retailing service landscapes. Therefore, in such decision-making, people are provoked at a high level to search for information actively and process it. Nonetheless, consumers’ informed-ness may not accurately represent true knowledge but rather what they believe they know. Personal selling is an instrument of promotion based on interpersonal two-way communication between the seller and buyer to make a sale. Personal selling approaches could be product or customer-centric. The product-centric approach is the traditional communication of transactional selling with emotional, discount, or price-cutting selling practices focused on unilateral revenue generation. The customer-centric professional selling consists of sales processes emphasising solutions and increasing customer-centric sales approaches. The focus is on satisfying the customer’s needs by identifying the relevant points. Professional selling has developed in many aspects, such as consultative, solution, adaptive, and relationship selling, by considering customer centricity as the cornerstone. A transformative research paradigm would be constructive to revamp the stance of selling in high-involvement purchase situations.
- ItemEffectiveness of using smart board in English as a second language classrooms: Undergraduates’ perspectives(Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2023-12-15) Dineeka, P.A.C.; Ekanayake, K.K.T.N.This study investigates undergraduates’ perspectives on using smart boards in English as a Second Language Classroom. Previous research proved that the smartboard supports and enhances a wide range of ESL activities: brainstorming sessions, writing, listening, reading, grammar practice and many others. Nevertheless, it was observed that little research has been conducted to identify the effectiveness of integrating smart boards in second language acquisition of undergraduates in Sri Lanka. Thus, this study is used to investigate the effectiveness of integrating smart boards in second language acquisition through undergraduates’ perspectives. The Participants of this study were 40 first-year undergraduates of the Faculty of Management & Finance, University of Ruhuna. The participants follow the Business English and English Language Intensive courses, and the smartboard has often been used during lectures. Employing a qualitative research design, data for the study were collected from a questionnaire and interviews. The questionnaire and interviews aim to determine undergraduates' attitudes toward utilising smartboards in the ESL classroom. The questionnaire, comprised of 10 questions, aimed at determining undergraduates' attitudes toward using smart boards in the ESL classroom. The students were first asked to fill in the questionnaire, and structured interviews were conducted with ten students. The data derived from the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study present that most students have a positive perspective on using smart boards to learn English as they contain a variety of functions compared to other teaching methods. The results show that using the smartboard enables a variety of learning experiences that enhance students' engagement, interactivity, and motivation in language learning. The present study is limited to students’ perspectives on using smart boards, and teachers' perspectives are also a critical factor that needs to be examined. This study recommends teachers provide opportunities for students to use the smartboard in-class activities.
- ItemImpact of career aspirations on academic success of undergraduates: the mediation effect of academic behaviour(Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2023-12-15) Rathnayake, A.; Karunarathne, R.A.I.C.Understanding the determinants of academic success is important for developing a supportive educational environment for undergraduates. However, this field of study is nascent and limited studies focus on educational disciplines such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The present study aims to examine the impact of career aspirations on the academic success of undergraduates’ mediation effect of academic behaviour in the field of STEM. To achieve this aim, we develop four hypotheses, which are built based on the Social Cognitive Career Development theory and prior literature. This study is built in a quantitative research approach, and data was collected from 236 undergraduates in the field of STEM. Participants’ career aspirations, academic behaviour and success were assessed through a validated online questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of four parts: demographic data, career aspiration, academic behaviour, and academic success. Hypotheses were tested using regression with the support of the Hyeres Process for SPSS version 23. The results of the studies demonstrate that academic behaviour partially mediates the relationship between career aspirations and academic success, suggesting that students with ambitious career aspirations are more likely to exhibit positive academic behaviours that contribute to their academic achievements and success. The study’s findings highlight the importance of fostering career exploration and goal-setting activities among STEM undergraduates to enhance their academic success. Students with clear career aspirations are highly motivated and dedicated to their academic pursuits, leading to better academic behaviours and higher academic achievements. Educational institutions can implement interventions to support students’ career aspirations and promote positive academic behaviours, such as mentorship programs and career counselling services. The study emphasises the significance of aligning academic goals with career objectives. It offers insights for educators and policymakers to empower students in their pursuit of academic and career success in STEM fields. The study also provides valuable insights into the relationships between career aspirations, academic behaviour, and academic success in the undergraduate STEM field. These findings emphasise the importance of considering career aspirations in shaping students’ study behaviours and academic achievements. This paper addresses the limitations of this study and further explores the dynamics of these relationships in different contexts and demographic groups.