Three decades

Abstract

A careful analysis of the existing curriculum should be a must pre-requisite exercise in any curriculum revision process. Despite some inherent draw backs, an analysis of the results of the graduates can be used as an indirect measure of evaluating the effectiveness of a curriculum. Objective of this study was to analysis the results of the BSc Agriculture graduates who followed two curricula at the faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna (FAUR). The results and the other relevant information of 1889 students who followed the BSc Agriculture degree program were used for the analysis. From 1978 to 2005, the FAUR has enrolled 1889 undergraduates and produced 1774 graduates. The mean per batch student enrolment during the periods of first curriculum (Cl) and second curriculum (C2) were 55 and 113, respectively. The drop out percentage for the whole period was 3.86. The drop out percentage was not significantly affected by the batch size or by the curriculum. Irrespective of the type of curricula, there was a general trend to have lesser percentage of simple passes with increasing percentage of graduates with classes, over the history of the FAUR. Fifty eight percent of the graduates produced by the FAUR had secured a class. The percentage of class holders among the second curriculum was as high as 72%. The percentage of graduates having at least an upper second was higher for Cl (25.5%) than for C2 (20%). The performance of female students was significantly better than male counterparts. The chance of getting a first class for a female student was much higher than that of a male counterpart. The percentage of female students having second uppers, lowers and having whatever a class were significantly higher than males, in both curricula. For a female, the chance of being graduated with a class was as high as 51 and 85% for the Cl and C2, respectively. It was concluded that females outperformed males in both curricula. It was also revealed that though the C2 produced higher percentage of graduates with classes, the C2 was effective in producing more “employer preferred graduates” as far as the degree class structure is concerned.