LEAPS

Project: LEAdership, Personal Growth, and Social Responsibility (LEAPS)
නායකත්වය, චරිත සංවර්ධනය සහ සමාජ වගකිම පිළිබඳ පාසැල් ව්‍යාපෘතිය - කැලණිය විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය

Background

We are conducting a school-based research project titled LEAdership, Personal Growth, and Social Responsibility (LEAPS) as a collaboration between the University of Kelaniya and the University of Toronto with the Western Province Department of Education. The project would aim to develop a character development intervention for early adolescents in Sri Lankan schools.

Objectives

To culturally adapt an internationally used character strength assessment instrument to Sri Lankan school children

To explore the pattern of character strengths in early adolescent school children in the District of Gampaha

To develop a culturally relevant application for early adolescent school children in Sri Lanka to facilitate character development

Study Details

The study setting is schools in the Gampaha district of Sri Lanka. The study population is school students in the age range of 12-14 years, studying in grades 7, 8 and 9. The psychological intervention is a web application implemented using an innovative e-platform for school students. The web application would have 10 modules designed to promote the development of specific character strengths. The modules would be designed to be appropriate for the adolescence period. The application would incorporate religious and cultural values of Sri Lanka. A selected teacher from each school is expected to facilitate the students while they are engaged in character development activities

Time allocation

A student is expected to spend 40 minutes engaging in the character development activities per session for 10 sessions over 12 months. The study is conducted over two years from September 2020.

Project Team

Team Leader

Professor Shehan Williams

Professor in Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya and Consultant Psychiatrist, Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama.

Joint Team Leader

Professor Arun Ravindran

Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada and Consultant Psychiatrist, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada

Technical Lead

Professor Miyuru Chandradasa

Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya and Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama.

Education Video Channel

Chief Project Coordinator

Mr S. Sumanasiri

Project Coordinator, LEAPS project, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya

Scientific Coordinator & Psychologist

Mrs Sindujaa Nandakumar Selliah

Scientific Coordinator, LEAPS project, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya

Research Coordinator

Mr Pradeep Gunarathne

Occupational Therapist, Ministry of Health

Administrative Support Officer

Miss Hansani Karunarathne

Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya

Outcome

Development of a culturally relevant and age-appropriate web application to develop character strengths in adolescents in Sri Lanka. This would enable low-cost character education for millions of adolescent school children.

Teachers’ Training Programme – Gampaha March 2020

Contact

Email
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Phone
Mr Sumanasiri – Chief Project Coordinator » +94 777 480371 (WhatsApp)
Department of Psychiatry – Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya » +94 112 958039