THE MODEL DEVELOPMENT OF PARTICIPATORY LEARNING PROCESS RELATED TO COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The objectives of this research was to develop a participatory learning process model related to community environmental management, study factors effecting the participatory learning process, and evaluate the effectiveness of the participatory learning process model. The results of the research showed that the use of the participatory learning process had the following six steps: searching for problems, analyzing the causes of the problems, planning solution for the problems, making a Community Master Plan, action, and finally evaluation.Stakeholders were concerned about the perceived information, really understood community environmental problems, self analyzed their strengths and weaknesses, learned about real problems, perceived existing social capital, which could be used for preventing problems, and giving solutions to the community environment leading to a Community Environmental Management Master Plan. The factors affecting the participatory learning process, found that the female group, a group who used to receive training and attended the meetings/seminars on community environment, the group most in need of community environmental management, a group living in the area for 31 years or more, and a group with knowledge at the medium level affected the participatory learning process with the statistical significance of 0.05. And the effectiveness of the participatory learning process model was considerable. The research recommendations are as follows; the Local Government Organizations, have to be at the center and participate with internal and external agencies in systematically managing community environments, should develop information systems at the community center, support community activities which stimulate community environmental management, and provide a shared learning stage. Related agencies should also develop leaders who have potential and systematic management to bring about sustainable development of the community environment.