COMMUNITY-BASED LIFELONG LEARNING IN INDONESIA: A MULTI-CASE STUDY OF GOVERNANCE, LEARNING PROGRAMS, AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AT COMMUNITY LEARNING ACTIVITY CENTERS

Abstract

Community-based non-formal education has a strategic role in expanding access to
learning, strengthening life skills, and empowering communities, but studies that specifically map
the linkages between governance, learning programs, and community participation as key
dimensions of institutional sustainability are still limited. This study aims to analyze communitybased lifelong learning in Indonesia through a multi-case study at two Community Learning
Activity Centers (PKBM), namely PKBM Widya Bhakti and PKBM Tunas Mulia Gunungpati. A
qualitative approach with a multiple-case study design was used, employing in-depth interviews
with 10 core informants (managers, tutors or facilitators, and adult learning residents), nonparticipant observations, and documentation studies. Data were analyzed through the stages of
case description, thematic coding, comparison between cases, and implication drawing. The results
of the study show that the two PKBMs form a functional community learning ecosystem but differ
in governance patterns, program orientation, and forms of participation relevant to institutional
continuity. Management-centered governance, programs that focus on equality and life skills
education, and institutional community participation appear interconnected in the organization of
PKBM provision. This research contributes to the study of non-formal education and lifelong
learning. It provides a basis for strengthening community-based education policies and practices
to support the achievement of SDG 4 and SDG 8.