The Learning Facilitation for Developing a New Way of Learning of Youths in Thai Rural Areas by the Blended Learning Process for Sustainable Self-reliance

Abstract

This qualitative and quantitative study aimed to investigate basic data, community context and needs for developing the learning facilitation as well as a new way of learning facilitation. Also, it was hoped to develop knowledge, skills and experience of youths towards their livelihoods based on sustainable self-reliance among rapid change of the surrounding environment. The sample group in this study consisted of 190 community members, 27 community leaders, school administrators and teachers, representatives of the local administrative organization, representatives of the religious organization, and local scholars, and 35 elementary school students. The study lasted 2 academic years. Locale of the study was at Thonnalab sub-district, Udon Thani province.Results of the study revealed that the community in this study had a highest level of needs and expectation based on knowledgeable and skillful youths in the community. The design of learning activities by using the project for group learning development on cooking by boy scout/girl scoutconsisting of four sub-activitiesunder 5STEPs integrated with blended learning, learning by doing and POE techniques were used. The student achievement was higher than that of the posttest and pretest with a statistically significant level at 0.01. This would be beneficial to their future livelihoods due to an appropriate learning facilitation process and effective coordination of all concerned parties in the community. It was also found that the youths there had a high level of satisfaction with the facilitation of a new way of
learningtowards the curriculum development and learning facilitation. An important component of the success was community coordination in the facilitation of actual experience dated to local livelihoods and rapid social change. Besides, teachers, local scholars and the religious organization perfectly joined the coordination.