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Impact of Community Learning on Intergenerational Cultural Knowledge Sharing

Abstract

Community learning refers to organized learning experiences in which members of a community acquire and share knowledge, skills, values, and experiences through activities such as group discussions, workshops, storytelling, practical demonstrations, and community-based projects, while intergenerational cultural knowledge sharing refers to the exchange of cultural beliefs, traditions, skills, stories, values, and indigenous knowledge between older and younger generations. Intergenerational knowledge sharing is important for maintaining cultural continuity and ensuring that valuable cultural knowledge is not lost. However, reduced interaction between generations and changing social practices may limit opportunities for cultural knowledge exchange. Therefore, this study will examine the impact of community learning on intergenerational cultural knowledge sharing. Community learning provides opportunities for people of different age groups to interact and learn from one another within familiar community settings. Through storytelling sessions, cultural workshops, oral history activities, practical demonstrations, group discussions, and community projects, older members can share their experiences and traditional knowledge with younger members. At the same time, younger participants can contribute their own perspectives and learning experiences. These forms of community learning can create structured opportunities for continuous interaction and knowledge exchange across generations. Intergenerational cultural knowledge sharing involves the transmission and exchange of traditional practices, indigenous knowledge, local history, cultural values, crafts, stories, language expressions, and other forms of cultural knowledge between generations. Community learning may influence this process by creating opportunities for direct interaction, improving awareness of cultural knowledge, and encouraging individuals to share what they know. Regular learning activities involving different generations may therefore strengthen communication and provide practical opportunities for cultural knowledge to be transferred and maintained. The study will adopt a quantitative research design. The population will comprise adults and younger community members participating in selected community learning activities in the study area. Data will be collected using a structured questionnaire designed to measure participation in community learning and intergenerational cultural knowledge sharing. The instruments will be subjected to appropriate validity and reliability procedures before administration. Data collected will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, while the relevant hypothesis will be tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The study is expected to establish that community learning has a positive impact on intergenerational cultural knowledge sharing. It is expected that communities with greater involvement in structured learning activities will demonstrate more frequent exchange of cultural knowledge between generations, greater opportunities for older members to share traditional knowledge, and stronger involvement of younger members in learning about cultural practices. The findings will have implications for community education and learning by emphasizing the value of creating learning opportunities that bring different generations together. Community educators may use storytelling, oral history projects, cultural demonstrations, traditional skills workshops, and collaborative community projects to facilitate knowledge sharing. These approaches can make community learning more inclusive while providing practical opportunities for cultural knowledge to be exchanged between generations. The study will be significant to community educators, adult learners, younger community members, older adults, traditional institutions, cultural organizations, community leaders, policymakers, and researchers. Community educators may use the findings to develop intergenerational learning activities, while cultural organizations and traditional institutions may benefit from improved approaches to documenting and transmitting cultural knowledge. The findings may also assist community leaders and policymakers in supporting programmes that promote meaningful interaction between generations. The study will recommend that community learning programmes incorporate structured intergenerational activities that encourage the sharing of cultural knowledge. Community educators should promote storytelling, oral history documentation, traditional skills demonstrations, cultural workshops, and collaborative learning projects involving different generations. Community leaders and cultural organizations should also provide regular opportunities for older and younger community members to interact and exchange knowledge. The study will conclude that effective community learning can provide a valuable platform for strengthening intergenerational cultural knowledge sharing and supporting the continuity of cultural knowledge across generations.

Keywords: Community learning, intergenerational learning, cultural knowledge, knowledge sharing, cultural transmission, traditional knowledge, indigenous knowledge, cultural heritage, adult learning, community education, oral traditions, cultural values, intergenerational exchange, cultural practices, cultural continuity