Thusitha Chamara Kuruppu Arachcige

Chamara is engaged in a phenomenographic study examining the variations in teachers experiences of digital information literacy practices

Email: thusitha.kuruppuarachchige@vuw.ac.nz

Supervisors: Professor Anne Goulding and Associate Professor Chern Li Liew

Profile

Thusitha Chamara Kuruppu Arachchige is currently a PhD candidate at the School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Prior to commencing his doctoral studies, Chamara served as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Technology at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. His doctoral research focuses on Digital Information Literacy (DIL) in educational contexts, particularly examining variations in teachers’ experiences of digital information literacy practices in contemporary teaching and learning environments.

As an academic in the field of information studies, Chamara observed that following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sri Lankan education system introduced several initiatives and facilities to support the transition towards digital and technology-enhanced education. As a result, many teachers began relying more heavily on digital resources for lesson preparation, classroom activities, and supporting student learning. This transition encouraged teachers to engage more actively with digital information in their professional practices. However, the ways in which teachers understand and experience these digital information literacy practices vary widely.

Motivated by this observation, Chamara’s research explores the variation in teachers’ experiences of digital information literacy practices, particularly focusing on how teachers define their information needs, search for digital information, and evaluate digital information within their professional work. The study adopts a phenomenographic research approach, which aims to reveal the qualitatively different ways in which people experience or understand a phenomenon.

Through this research, Chamara aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of Digital Information Literacy as a professional practice by identifying the different ways educators conceptualize and enact digital information literacy processes. The findings are expected to advance the field of information studies by illuminating how educators engage with digital information practices. The study seeks to inform digital information literacy development, information-literacy instruction, and teacher-education initiatives.

Qualifications

• MSSc in Library and Information Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
• BSc. honors in Statistics and Computer Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Research Interests

• Digital Information Literacy & Education
• Information Behavior & Information Practices
• Phenomenography & Qualitative Research
• Digital Safety
• Digital Literacy

Publications

Chamara's publications can be viewed here