Community’s Awareness of Songkhla Old Town Heritage Value among the Youth Through Participatory Learning Process

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to develop 1) a cooperative learning process among students, youths, local people, and networking to support the awareness of Songkhla old town values towards the world heritage promotion, 2) a framework of local school curriculum to raise awareness on the value in Songkhla old town among students from Pratomsuksa 1 to Pratomsuksa 6, and 3) an informal study unit to raise awareness of Songkhla old town in Songkhla’s people and tourists. This participatory action research is conducted in cooperation of academicians, local scholars, Kaohong community on Nongjig Nang-Ngam streets, Songkhla Provincial Administration organization, Songkhla Municipality as well as the school administrators and teachers from 10 schools in Songkhla province. Three schools are located outside of Bo Yang sub-district. Of the seven schools located in Bo Yang sub-district, Muang district, six schools are under Songkhla Primary Educational Service Area Office 1 while the other one is under Songkhla Municipality. The collaborative learning process is employed in the following 5 steps: 1) creating the relationship and learning networking, 2) sharing vision and building common goals, 3) forming the participation with the community, 4) creating the experience to cultivate good conscience of citizenship to the preservation of Songkhla old town’s value, and 5) awakening to the curriculum development and trusting its implementation. The results indicated that 1) networking is formed among academicians, local scholars, Kaohong community on Nong Jig - Nang Ngam streets, Songkhla Provincial Administration organization, Songkhla Municipality, school administrators, and teacher from 10 schools in Songkhla province. All stakeholders are united to share knowledge and local wisdom, and develop the curriculum and learning management guidelines within the value-based system and active learning conceptual framework. The aim is to stimulate the youth’s contemporary consciousness in recognizing the values and cultural heritage of Songkhla. 2) The framework of local school curriculum for the youth caring for Songkhla: Sam Lak Pa Som Kliao Pen Neung Dieow Nai Bo Yang (The unity of the three segments in Bo Yang). 3) The informal study unit: Street of learning and culture in Kaohong community on Nong Jig - Nang Ngam streets is developed.