The development of a participatory learning process model for conserving the forest-resources of communities around doi-khun-tan national park

Abstract

The purposes of this study were: 1) to develop the model of a participatory learning process for conserving the forest-resources of communities around Doi-Khun-Tan National Park, 2) to compare knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the samples’ in conserving the forest resources and 3) to study the satisfaction of participatory learning process. The sample selected by a purposive sampling consisted of 48 subjects representing the communities around the area of Doi Khun Tan. The instruments included all these: 1) an interview, 2) a participatory learning process program for conserving the forest-resources the area of Doi Khun Tan National Park, 3) a questionnaire about the knowledge, attitude and behavior of conserving forest resources and 4) a questionnaire about their satisfaction with the program. The data elicitation was drawn from three sources: 1) interviews and brainstorming, 2) the assessment of the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors by the questionnaire, and 3) the assessment of the satisfaction with the participatory learning process by the questionnaire. The study revealed these findings: 1) the participatory learning process of model fell into 6 steps, consisting of a) the analysis of communities, key informants and literature reviews, b) the implementation of the knowledge to conserve the forest resources, c) the implementation of the attitude towards conserving the forest resources, d) the implementation of the behaviors of conserving the forest resources, e) the assessment of the participatory learning process and f) the evaluation of satisfaction with the program; 2) the subjects’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding forest conservation at the boundary of Doi Khun Tan before and after the participatory learning process are statistically different at the significance level of .05; and 3) the level of their satisfaction with the participatory learning process was high.