Patterns of learning about Thai rural communities in the northern part of Thailand

Study was to examine the mode of learning about northern Thai rural society through formal and informal education and their combination in the non-school settings. Regarding the formal learning as appeared in the curriculum and instruction, as well as the research methodology, it was found that, in the North, there were courses concerning rural areas in the the levels-bachelor, master, and docteral degress programs. Some of the courses were totally concerned rural society while the others were partly related. The learning obtained from the institutions of higher education normally was mostly content-based. Teaching methods mostly found in transmitting conceptes utillized the techniques of video tapes, problem presentation, experience exchange, and field trips. These types of learning occurred in the classroom contexts which deprived the students opportunity to realize what really went on in the rural areas and cost their understanding and skills in analyzing the causes of the problems as well as their complexity. Learning in the out of class-room settings was informal, usually acquired by the non-govermental organizations (NGOs) development workers and the community leaders. It was found that this type of learning usually took place under the framework of power-relationship. It had practical aim to discovering the factors accounting for the community strength. The mode of this learning involved the signification and representation of the local and folk's wisdoms which was done via their participatory action with the rural people. The meaning of rural society was constructed uniquely outside of the higher education institutions. It had its own paradigm and research methodologies. The research revealed as well that the studies about rural society in the North often lacked formal learning networks for the instructional developments, between teachers and students, among the rural people themselves. nor among NGOs. On the bright side, sources for learning about the northern rural society continuously emerged and some loose forms of networks among academics, NGO's workers, community leaders, and rural people had started for some time now.