The Social Sciences

Year: 2010
Volume: 5
Issue: 6
Page No. 554 - 558

A Study and Development on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in Forest Conservation and Reforestration of Youth in Ban Khao Phra Community Nakhon Nayok Province

Authors : Benjawan Suparat, Adisak Singseewo, Boonchird Pinyoanuntapong and Penkair Thamaseananupap

Abstract: This research aims at developing the knowledge, the attitude and the practice in the forest conservation and revival of the youths in Baan Khao Phra community, Nakhon Nayok Province employing the mixed method (qualitative and quantitative). The subjects in this research consisted of the leaders of the community who are both officials and villagers knowledgeable and having real practices in the forest area. The 30 officials involved from the Office of Natural Resource and Environment in Nakhon Nayok province are obtained by means of snow ball sampling and the sample group for the training course is 30 youths who are students studying in a secondary school level. The package of the training course was evaluated by means of enquiry, interview and group talk. The data derived are analyzed by means of descriptive statistic; percentage, mean, standard deviation and inferential statistic; testing the hypotheses using ANNOVA with repeated measure: one between two within. The results were found accordingly. The problems happened to the forest in Baan Khao Phra community are mostly caused by the actions of the villagers: forested items collecting, animals hunting, forest area pioneering and deforestation. These yield both the indirect and indirect effects on the forest itself but the most important cause for deforestation is attributed to human beings’ lack of knowledge, understanding, mutual participation and responsibility to conserve the forest. Despite the accumulated and passed over wisdom of the community to sustain lives on the benefits from the forest, the mutual participation of the villagers who tie to the forest is necessary to be enhanced to strengthen community for self-reliance. The package of the training course for forest conservation and revival of the youths in Baan Khao Phra community, Nakhon Nayok province, comprises the knowledge, the attitude and behavioral practice to conserve and revive the forest undergone the development based on the studies on thinking, a related theory, a local wisdom for forest resource management and a participatory action research with a try-out to assure a high reliability. The youths’ knowledge in the forest conservation and revival before the training is rated moderate and after the training is rated high. By a comparison, the knowledge in the forest conservation and revival of the youth after the training is rated higher than before the training at a significantly statistical level of 0.01. The youth with different genders show no difference in terms of knowledge in overall. The youths’ attitude towards the forest conservation and revival is rated at a moderate level and after the training is rated at the same level. By a comparison, the attitude towards the forest conversation and revival after the training is rated higher than before the training at a significantly statistical level of 0.05. The youth with different genders show no difference in terms of knowledge in overall. The youths’ behavioral practice in the forest conservation and revival before the training is rated at a moderate level and after the training is rated at the same level. By a comparison, the behavioral practice in the forest conversation and revival after the training is rated higher than before the training at a significantly statistical level of 0.01. The youths with different genders show no differences in terms of knowledge in overall. To sum, the developed package of the training course yielded efficiency, making the youths increase the knowledge, the attitude and leading them to the behavioral practice to conserve and revive the forest. This could be used as a guidance to develop the youths in the terrain of environment studies. Therefore, it should be enhanced and adopted and be applied to another group of youth in other areas.

How to cite this article:

Benjawan Suparat, Adisak Singseewo, Boonchird Pinyoanuntapong and Penkair Thamaseananupap, 2010. A Study and Development on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in Forest Conservation and Reforestration of Youth in Ban Khao Phra Community Nakhon Nayok Province. The Social Sciences, 5: 554-558.

Design and power by Medwell Web Development Team. © Medwell Publishing 2024 All Rights Reserved