포스트모던 시대의 성인교육

This study examined adult education in the perspective of postmodernity, More specifically, the study investigated what is adult education, what is the relationship between postmodernity and adult education, and what is the tendency of postmodern adult education with American or western adult education in the center. It suggests that the concept of adult education is variably defined, and today rapid social and cultural change tends to make the concept complex. However, adult education in the United States and western counties is regared as a systematic discipline beyond the activities of organizations or institutions and social education for adults. These countries tries to define adult education based on its function and goals. Therefore, today`s adult education is defined as education, in which scientific and empirical approach such as needs assessment and critical educational activities and contents are used. In addition, the study suggests that the main tendency of postmodern adult education is critical adult education and participative adult education. The critical adult education emphasizes cultural situation and context, in which all things related to adult education are constituted. And, the participative adult education emphasizes that adult learners have to participate in deciding educational activities or contents related adult education. Finally, the study suggests that in Korea, for enhancing adult education and making adult education an independent discipline, more theoretical and practical research should be done in the future.