Creating a Learning Society in the Digital Era: Perspectives from Educational and Community Leaders in Banten, Indonesia

Background: The digital era presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges for establishing learning societies that support lifelong learning, digital literacy, and sustainable human capital development. Educational and community leaders play pivotal roles in this transformation, yet their integrated contributions remain underexplored in emerging regional contexts. Objective: This study aims to develop an integrated understanding of how educational and community leaders contribute to the creation of a learning society in the digital era, with specific focus on lifelong learning mechanisms, digital literacy initiatives, and human capital development pathways. Method: A qualitative descriptive multi-stakeholder inquiry was conducted with 28 participants including school principals, university leaders, community organization leaders, government representatives, and NGO officials from Banten Province, Indonesia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews (n=18), focus group discussions (n=3), document analysis, and observation protocols. Thematic analysis with source, method, and theory triangulation was employed. Findings: Educational and community leaders jointly establish learning societies through five interconnected mechanisms: institutional learning infrastructure development, digital literacy ecosystems, collaborative knowledge-sharing platforms, civic engagement frameworks, and capability development initiatives. Leaders emphasized the necessity of integrating formal and informal learning, bridging digital divides, and fostering social capital through community engagement. An Integrated Learning Society Development Framework emerged, highlighting the synergistic relationship between educational institutions, community organizations, and government agencies in facilitating sustainable human capital growth. Novelty: This research uniquely positions learning society development as an educational-community collaborative endeavor within the digital era context of emerging regional economies, departing from institution-centric approaches that dominate current literature. Implications: Findings provide strategic guidance for policymakers and institutional leaders in designing integrated learning society frameworks that harness digital technologies while maintaining social cohesion and equitable access to learning opportunities.