• (The)Korea Educational Review
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.117-142
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to illustrate Richard Henry Tawney's idea of adult education among traditions of workers' education movement. The workers' education movement can be categorized into two streams. One tradition regards as the workers' education as a part of liberal education. The other tradition regards as it as a tool for social transformation. The former, which emphasizes the importance of liberal education in workers' education, had been developed in connection with the University Extension in England, and had a practical influence through the 'Workers' Educational Association(WEA)' organized by Mansbridge and other intellectuals. The latter, which emphasizes the social transformational function of education, conducted education in a form that is not clearly distinguished from propaganda, through the 'National Council of Labour College(NCLC)'. Tawney demonstrates the idea of adult education that synthesizes these two traditions, and this synthesization is related to his idea on equality. Tawney pursued socialism through democratic and non-violent way. He thought that adult education could contribute to the construction of socialism while at the same time conducting adult education based on liberal education. In other words, adult education based on liberal education, through rational understanding and discussion of the world, can contribute to social transformation. Tawney's idea of adult education provides practical implications for educationalists and educators who want progressive social change, and theoretically enriches educational research on the relationship between social transformation and education.