Mr. M.N.C. Fernando

University of Colombo (MPhil), Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education (CTHE), University of London MA (curriculum education), University of Colombo PGDE (Distinction), Open University of Sri Lanka B.Sc (First Class Hons) Awarded the Gold Medal for the best performance in Science and Prize for Mathematics

Senior Lecturer

Department of Secondary & Tertiary Education

Mr. M. N. C. Fernando is an experienced educator and academic with over 20 years of service in the field of education. He currently works as a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Open University of Sri Lanka. His work includes developing online courses, creating academic materials, training teachers, supervising research, and supporting quality improvement in higher education.

Mr. Fernando holds an MPhil from the University of Colombo, a Master’s degree in Curriculum Education from the University of London, and a First Class Honours B.Sc. degree from the Open University of Sri Lanka. He also received a Gold Medal for best performance in Science and a prize for Mathematics. In addition, he has completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Distinction and a Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education.

Before joining the Open University, he worked at the National Institute of Education, where he was involved in curriculum development, teacher training, and research in early childhood and primary education.

Mr. Fernando has written and co-written many research papers and articles, focusing on teacher education, online learning, curriculum issues, and educational technology. He has also taken part in several national and international education conferences and worked with organizations like JICA and the Ministry of Education.

He is known for his dedication to improving education in Sri Lanka through innovation, research, and teacher development.

Curriculum Development, Primary Education, Assessment and Evaluation, Educational Technology

Students’ Attitudes towards learning, Usage of educational technology for innovative teaching, Assessing of social and emotional skills in online learning

Course Team Leader :
Measurement and Evaluation

Course Coordinator:
STP 9542 Teacher Educator as an Educational Technologist
STP 9632 Computer Technology in Education

Department Coordinator:
B.A. in English and English Language Teaching
STU 3321 Environmental Education, Communication and Awareness
STPA 305 Environmental Communication and Education

Enhancing the Quality of Learning: How the Learning Attitudes of Junior
Secondary Students are Developed, 2018, Unpublished MPhil thesis to the
University of Colombo

A Study of the Difficulties Encountered by Teachers and Children in the Teaching
Learning Process of Sri Lankan Primary Curriculum, 2001, Unpublished MA
Dissertation to the University of London

A Study of the Effectiveness of Co-curricular Activities Programme introduced
for Primary Education under the Education Reforms in 1988, 2004, Unpublished
PGDE research report to the University of Colombo

Problems Faced by Teacher Trainees During the Implementation of the Teaching-
Learning Process of Their Training Programmes at the National Colleges of
Education Sri Lanka, 2021, National Institute of Education (with others).

The impact on advance level students of international schools on their non-
admission to state Universities in Sri Lanka, 2019, Pakistan: AAOU Research
Sessions.

Analysis of the Problems of and the suitable Solutions for an Initial Teacher
Training Programme Conducted through the Distance Mode, 2018, OUSL
JOURNAL: volume 13 No.1-June, 2018, The Open University of Sri Lanka (with
others).

The Bachelor of Education (Drama and Theatre) Programme Conducted Through
the Distance Mode: Problems and Solutions, Annual Academic Sessions 2017,
The Open University of Sri Lanka (with others)- Presenter

Pioneering Change, in Dream weaving Open Educational Practices, 2016, The
Open University of Sri Lanka (with others).

Leaders’ readiness to accept the Challenge : empowering regional education
leaders through ODL systems in Sri Lanka, WEI International Academic
Conference in Rome 2016 (with others)- Presenter

Towards Open Educational Practices with Reflective Practice, Annual Academic
Sessions 2016, The Open University of Sri Lanka (with others)

Perspectives and Practices of Student Teachers of OUSL in the use of OER in
Teaching and Learning, Annual Academic Sessions 2015, The Open University of
Sri Lanka (with others)

Change Through Technology: A Journey, in Integrating OER in Educational
Practice: Practitioner Stories, 2014, The Open University of Sri Lanka (with
others).

An Action Research on the Quality Improvement of Teaching Practice
Component of the PGDE Programme, 2014, Research Series No.1, Faculty of
Education (with others).

An OER- integrated Online Learning Environment to enhance knowledge
construction in Chemistry at Secondary School Level, the International
Conference on Chemical Education 2014 (with others)

Perceptions of Student Teachers of an Online Learning Environment on Open
Educational Resources for Science Education, Annual Academic Sessions 2013,
The Open University of Sri Lanka (with others)

Designing an Online Learning Environment on Open Educational Resources for
Science Education, AAOU Journal vol.8, No.1 March 2013 (with others)

Impact of School Based Projects Implemented by Student Teachers of the
Postgraduate Diploma in Education Programme, Annual Academic Sessions
2011, The Open University of Sri Lanka (with others)

An Analytical Study on the Project Component in Teaching Practice Stage 1 of
the Post Graduate Diploma in Education Programme, 2011, The Open University
of Sri Lanka (with others)

A Study of the Effectiveness of ISA’s Role in the Classroom Teaching Learning
Process, 2000, research report written for the requirement of APO training
programme, NIE

Performance of Grade 5 Students’ in Literacy and Numeracy, 2003, NIE
(with Dr. Suranimala Lekamge)

A Study to Identify Factors that Influence the Development of Language
Competencies of Students in Key Stage 1 in Primary Schools in Sri Lanka, 2003,
NIE (with others)

Associate Editor for the series of six per-service training manuals on Primary
Mathematics for National Colleges of Education, Primary Mathematics Unit, NIE

“Change through Technology: A Journey” in “Integrating OER in Educational Practice: Practitioner Stories” Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305724254_Integrating_OER_in_Educational_Practice_Practitioner_Stories

“Case Study 09 – Matara: Pioneering Change” in “Dremweaving Open Educational Practices” Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/228793378.pdf

 

Master of Education

Master of Special Needs Education

Master of Science in Environmental Science

 

Was awarded the “D.B. Ellepola” Gold Medal for the best performance in Science and the merit Prize for Mathematics at the OUSL 1998 General Convocation.

A member of the “Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Education” (SLAAED)

A member of the British Scholars’ Association