Abstract:
The objectives of this research were to analyze good practice models for community-based learning to promote productive ageing and to develop the community-based learning model for promoting productive ageing. Qualitative research was employed in 2 selected villages; namely, Samarnmitre village (an assumed named) in Sing Buri province and Jit Aree village (an assumed named) in Samut Songkhram province. Besides documentary research, the researcher collected data by doing field research in the above villages for 2 months each. Participant and non-participant observations, in-depth interviews of 137 persons and focus group discussions of 3 groups of elderly in each village were conducted. The collected data was analyzed by means of analytic induction. The analyzed learning models were then tried out and developed through participatory action research at Don-tree Sanoh village (an assumed named), Chonburi province. Findings could be concluded that the community-based learning model for promoting productive ageing which was developed from Don-tree Sanoh village (an assumed named) consisted of 3 parts. In the first part, the concept or principle of learning, it was suggested that community-based learning and adult learning or andragogy should be utilized. In the objective, which was the second part of the model, it was proposed that the objectives for promoting productive aging comprised 4 activities including paid employment, voluntary activities, caregiver activities, and cultural preservation. In the third part, it was suggested that the learning model should consist of structural organization in the community in which the elderly club took the leading role. At the same time, there should also have participation from Local Administrative Organization and Tambon Health Promoting Hospital as well as extended learning networks from both inside and outside the community. The community-participated learning process consisted of 7 steps: 1) raising awareness of the problems facing the elderly; 2) setting up shared vision; 3) providing knowledge to the community; 4) administering the elderly database; 5) forming learning groups; 6) promoting income-earning and social activities for elderly; and 7) evaluation. Five learning styles were proposed for the model: group process learning, experimental learning, participatory learning, action learning, and network learning. It was also found that supportive factors for the community-based learning model were leaders, resources, social capital, human capital, state policy and plan, and local culture. Moreover, the conditioning factors for implementing such learning model consisted of teamwork groups or organizations, learning exchange activities, elderly database, supportive networks, efficient health volunteer systems in the village, and participation of the informative elderlies and those recognized as local wisdoms in the learning process.