Seeds of Change: An Instructional Design for an Urban Gardening Education Program for Less Privileged Residents of Barangay Batong Malake, Los Baños, Laguna

Abstract

This study presented the instructional design for Seeds of Change, an urban gardening education program aimed at empowering underprivileged residents of Brgy. Batong Malake, Los Baños, Laguna Malake to cultivate their own food, addressing the issue of food insecurity. Guided by pedagogical approaches such as the ADDIE Model, Seeds of Change program sought to foster a sustainable, inclusive approach to urban food production, with a focus on practical, cost-effective techniques, particularly container gardening, vertical gardening, and hydroponics.

Eight topics were selected from a pre-survey conducted from April to May 2024, gauging the respondents' familiarity and interest with certain areas of urban gardening, as well as their experience in gardening.

An "evaluation day" for 15 residents of "Riverside", an impoverished residential area which best represented the target demographics of the program, was held on August 25, 2024. The pilot test, however, was met with several limitations, particularly the use of English language when most of the participants could not understand it, leading to a decline in post-test performance. Nevertheless, these learners were able to acquire and apply new urban gardening knowledge as they honed their gardening skills and experience, reinforcing the constructivist learning theory.

Despite the challenges faced by the target learning audience, the Seeds of Change program could be used as a blueprint for urban gardening education programs tailored for marginalized individuals and households using resources available to their communities.