The Community Economic Learning Center Based on the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy in Surin Province DOI:

Abstract

         The purposes of this mixed-method research were: 1) to study the management of community economic learning centers according to the philosophy of sufficiency economy in Tanee sub-district, Prasat district, Surin province; 2) Study the opinion levels of community members according to the implementation of the philosophy of sufficiency economy in their livelihoods; and 3) Provide guidelines for managing the community economic learning centers based on the philosophy of sufficiency economy as a guideline for their integrated use in learning management. Qualitative data were collected from interviews with 6 owners of the community economic learning centers and a focused-group discussion among 15 of owners of economic learning centers, community leaders, teachers’ representatives, and villagers’ representatives. A content analysis was employed for data analysis of the qualitative data. Additionally, a questionnaire regarding the opinions on the implementation of the philosophy of sufficiency economy in the livelihoods was distributed to 379 respondents. The collected quantitative data was analyzed for frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation using a computer program.

         The study found that: 1) There are five community learning centers that adhere to the philosophy of sufficiency economy and serve as a model for the community learning center. There are agriculturists who adhere to the philosophy of sufficiency economy and apply it with the new agriculture theories. The community learning centers provide managerial activities such as the allocation of space, efficient resource utilization, organic fertilizer production, vegetable cultivation, animal husbandry, and product distribution. It can even serve as a model for learning about the community economy of Tanee sub-district, Prasat district, Surin province, 5 places. 2) According to the opinion of people regarding the community learning centers adhere to the sufficiency economy philosophy, the study showed that the overall opinion of community members is at a high level (  = 3.95) which demonstrates that the people in the community recognize the significance of community learning centers. Moreover, the study also revealed that the overall opinion on the implementation of the sufficiency economy philosophy in their livelihoods is at high level (  = 3.99). 3) Owing to the guidelines for managing the community learning centers adhere to the sufficiency economy philosophy for the integration into learning management, it is suggested that, managing learning resource assets in the area by developing the capacity of the community, sufficiency economy network groups to serve as learning resources. Developing curricula, project activities, learning resource guides, pamphlets, etc. Additionally, theses community learning centers could be integrated as a part of learning management by creating guidebooks or pamphlets for these community learning centers and integrated into the curriculum specifically to the Strand 3: Economics, Standard SO 3.1 to allow students to study and distil lessons from the success of community learning centers.