Abstract:
The general objective of the research was to present a model of environmental
education for sustainable agriculture management. There were 3 specific objectives: 1)
studying the community environment related to farmers, management, agricultural
occupation and environment; 2) designing a model of environmental education
emphasizing farmers participation for sustainable agriculture management; and 3)
evaluating the efficiency of the model. Data was collected from informants who were the
heads of farming households living in Banglen District, Nakhonpathom Province. There
were 4 groups of informants: 1) 75 farmers for collecting data on the community
environment; 2) 37 farmers for collecting data on the activity of the environmental
education process; 3) 18 farmers for collecting data on the actual implementation; and 4) 10
local experts being interviewed for the model confirmation. Thus, the observation, interview
and questionnaire were available for data collection.
The research findings revealed that the major causes of the farmers to have low
income and environmental problems in community. As the farmers did their plans of
agricultural occupation emphasizing the production factors. This was the reason why a
model of environmental education for sustainable agriculture management which was
integratedly based on concept of environmental education and principle of project
management covering 7 steps: 1) studying the existing of environment in the community; 2)
designing the environmental education model; 3) placing the model in a part of resources of
environmental education; 4) processing the environmental education; 5) evaluating the
achieved learning of environmental education; 6) doing the environmental management;
and 7) being healthy people living in a healthy environment. However, the environmental
education was considered to reach the quality of environment and the project management
was considered to get higher income for the farmers. The model efficiency evaluation
presented that the farmers got higher skills of management and were able to write a plan
related to their agricultural works which would enable them to get higher income and ensure
the quality of the environment. Furthermore, the intention to act on the plan was very high
and there were statiacally significant reference at 0.05 when compared the farmers learning
before and after providing the environmental education activity.
Moreover, the research recommendations related to agricultural occupation leading
to have higher income and quality caring of environment in community, a concept of
environmental education and principle of project management need to be integrated and
emphasized the production process to reach goal of the occupational plan for the farmers or
the organization related to farmer development as well.