Educational gerontology in Korea: an interpretive and critical study

Abstract

Wilma Donahue’s book in 1955, Education for Later Maturity, was considered the first major work to identify the educational needs of the aging person. Peterson considers it one of the earliest comprehensive surveys of older learners. However, the idea of educational gerontology was probably first used in 1970 at the University of Michigan, as the title of a doctoral program dealing principally with education and older people. Although America has been the forerunner of educational gerontology, Korea has formed its own model. The purpose of this article is to interpret and criticize Korean educational gerontology in‐depth from the following aspects: factors influencing Korea’s developing education for senior citizens; the related policy and law issues; practices of implementation; and lastly the distinctive features of Korean educational gerontology, existing problems and suggestions for future development.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Soongsil University Research Fund.

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