กระบวนการเรียนรู้ของแกนนำเกษตรกรเพื่อการพัฒนาตนเองและสวนยางพาราแบบวนเกษตร : กรณีศึกษาเครือข่ายเกษตรกรสวนยางพาราแบบวนเกษตรตำบลทุ่งใหญ่ อำเภอหาดใหญ่ จังหวัดสงขลา

Abstract

The objectives of this qualitative research are to study the development and outcomes of learning processes, as well as factors facilitating and obstructing the learning processes of core-team farmers in developing themselves and thier rubber agroforestry plots, which was implemented in the technological transferring project of "strengthening networks of rubber agroforestry farmers in Thung Yai Subdistrict to promote rubber agroforestry planting in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province" during 2012-2016. The target group includes ten core-team farmers in the project and the other nineteen informants who were involved in the project.. The research methodology are as follows: participant and non-participant observations; unstructured, semi-structured and structured interviews; surveys of number, species and sizes of plants in the farmers' rubber agroforestry plots; and a focus group discussion. The farmers were classified into two groups, five in each group: One group is comprised of farmers with experiences in rubber agroforestry before taking part in the project, while the other group began to develop their rubber agroforestry plots after the project participation. It is found that the first group accumulated their own knowledge from solving environmental problems, as well as having their dream of planting trees. They already changed their mono- cropping rubber plots into rubber agro-forestry ones. The learning are categorized into two approaches: one was for transforming mono-cropping rubber plots into rubber agro-forestry ones, and the other aimed to develop core-team members/groups/networks of farmers. The outcomes are as follows: The farmers increased their knowledge, motivation and positive attitudes towards rubber agroforestry. They learned about network administration so that they could set up occupation groups, as well as transferring their knowledge to people interested in the issues. They also developed their plots into rubber agro-forestry ones, which could be classified into three patterns: simple, semi-complex and complex systems. Factors facilitating their learning are as follows: 1) Necessary factors: their own previous interest in rubber agro-forestry and support from family members; 2) sufficient factors can be divided into two levels: (a) family level-economic pressures in their families and labor availability; (b) external level-free provisions of seedling, capabilities of learning process providers, support from private/governmental agencies, and the governmental policies for promoting rubber agro-forestry. The obstructive factor includes time constraints of the famers.