URBAN COMMUNITY LEARNING PLATFORMS FOR SMALLHOLDING ECOLOGICAL ORGANIC FARMING PRACTITIONERS

Abstract

This study investigates how smallholding ecological organic farming practitioners (SOFPs) learn, adapt, and transform within dynamic socio-ecological systems, focusing on the Songkwae Organic Network (SKON) in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand, and complemented by case studies in rural Scotland. While transformative learning has been widely explored in adult education, existing scholarship reveals several key gaps: Transformative Learning Theory (TLT) remains centred on individual transformation and insufficiently explains collective, community-based learning; studies rarely examine the contextual realities of Thai organic farming networks; few analyses consider long-term learning trajectories; and structured models for hybrid physical–digital community learning platforms are largely missing. This research addresses these gaps by examining how learning occurs beyond formal educational systems and how community learning platforms enhance practitioners' transformation and resilience. Drawing upon TLT and employing Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) methodology, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and After-Action Reviews (AARs). Findings reveal that learning among SOFPs is not a supplementary process but a core mechanism driving transformation, resilience, and sustainability in both individual and community systems. The study identifies eight interrelated learning components—experience, socialD learning, reflection, adaptation, emotion, knowledge, action, and reintegration—that collectively form a cyclical, hybrid learning process. These findings underpin the development of two integrative models: the Hybrid Transformative Learning Model (HTLM) and the Hybrid Integrated Facilitation Model (HIFM), which together conceptualise learning as a contextual, participatory, and cyclical process connecting ecological engagement, moral commitment, and adaptive experimentation. Complementary Scottish cases—including smallholder and crofting systems—confirm the universality yet contextual diversity of transformative learning. Despite differences in geography and governance, both Thai and Scottish practitioners demonstrate learning as an ongoing dialogue between people, place, and practice, sustained through community structures and reflective adaptation. The integration of physical and digital (“phygital”) spaces further enables collaboration between movers and stayers, ensuring continuity and innovation within community learning systems. This research contributes to rethinking adult and community education for sustainable agriculture by offering a practical framework for designing hybrid learning platforms that bridge local and global knowledge systems while strengthening the ecological and social foundations of smallholder communities.