Process of Enhancing Youth for Social Changes in the 21st Century

Abstract

This article is a result of the research that explores concepts and forms of youths' learning processes, in particular the conditions and factors which are supportive or obstructive to learning capability. The study comprises literature review and five case studies. The research found significant conditions which enhance youths' learning processes in the 21st Century, including: (1) assigning clear objectives of the project and/or activity helps to design activities consistent with the project's goals; (2) contents of the process employed must be consistent with the target groups whose learning methods may be different; (3) the process duration must be appropriate to allow detailed and comprehensive learning process and facilitate participants to gain deep understanding; and (4) challenging and innovative learning spaces in communities, groups, or public space helps enhancing capability of participants to connect and analyze society which can lead to jointly-designed social actions. Among the factors affecting youths' learning processes, the two most significant factors are the process facilitator and the concepts adopted in such
processes. The facilitator must profess in concepts and theories to design the learning processes, he/she must be experienced and skilled in process facilitation in order to encourage participation and internal learning. On the other hand, three significant concepts are employed in the learning processes: (1) “direct education concept” focuses on learning at individual level through group process in which comfort zone must be created to encourage free exchanges without imposing absolute conclusion based on the assumption that conclusions are individualized; (2) “learning from practice concept” emphasizes taking action, attempting to produce work and self-learning in problem-solving; (3) “horizontal concept” signifies management of relationships, both participants-participants and participants-facilitators, to the same level as well as appropriate management of authority.