Learning in the Shade of the Olive Tree: Situated Learning Experiences in an Agricultural Cooperative as a Community of Practice

Co-operatives, which are based on cooperation and solidarity, are communities that provide spaces of interaction and experience for their members. These spaces also provide a learning environment for adult members of co-operatives. Given that farmers living in rural areas have limited formal learning experiences, the learning environments provided by agricultural co-operatives are of critical importance. This study focuses on the learning experiences provided to farmers by agricultural co-operatives in rural areas and examines the learning experiences of Gödence Agricultural Development Cooperative member farmers in a rural area from a situated learning perspective. Using a case study approach, the study found that farmers learnt about agricultural production, factory-machine knowledge, and managerial-communication processes, and through these learnings and interactions within the co-operative, they gained new learning experiences in different communities.