13/02/2024 - Catarina Wahyu Dyah Purbaningrum, a doctoral student of the Doctoral Program in Educational Sciences, Graduate School of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), successfully defended her dissertation titled “A Community Economic Empowerment Model through Training in Pioneer Tourism Villages in Gunungkidul Regency.” Her research explored and developed methods for empowering local communities economically through training initiatives in emerging tourism villages.

The main objective of this study was to develop a community economic empowerment model that integrates training programs within pioneer tourism villages in Gunungkidul Regency. The study also aimed to validate the model instruments, evaluate the model's practicality, and measure its effectiveness in empowering local communities.

Employing a research and development (R&D) approach, the study involved tourism village managers and local communities as participants. Data were collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods, engaging managers, experts, and community members involved in tourism village activities. Data analysis employed triangulation, observations, interviews, documentation, and statistical analyses, including V-Aiken, means, and paired-sample t-tests.

The findings of this research revealed several key points: (1) The model's instruments met validity criteria, as confirmed by expert assessments. (2) The model was deemed feasible in terms of input, training processes, and expected outputs. (3) The model was proven practical, with high average scores across introductory activities, core activities, simulations, and evaluations. (4) The model demonstrated effectiveness, shown by significant impprovements in participants' understanding after the training program, as indicated by t-test results.

The study concludes that the community economic empowerment model developed through training in pioneer tourism villages is valid, practical, and effective. This model serves as a valuable recommendation for local governments in developing tourism villages as a means to empower local communities economically.

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