HUMAN AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING IN THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY: PETER DRUCKER'S EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Today's society is defined by names such as "knowledge-based society," " knowledge society," "post-capitalist society," "post-industrial society," and "technocratic age." The reference point for all these definitions is the concept of "knowledge." Knowledge is the sole value of today's societies. Humanity has evolved from an agricultural society to an information society, and labor has evolved from an agricultural worker to a knowledge worker. Different approaches to knowledge have played a key role in this development. Peter F. Drucker defines the periods brought about by changes in information as the industrial revolution, the productivity revolution, and the management revolution, respectively. At the end of these three stages, humanity has reached the information society (post-capitalist society). This type of society is characterized by information becoming the sole and most important resource. The information society requires a new type of person, the "knowledge worker." This type of person is an educated person who discovers, uses, and applies knowledge, is constantly learning, and possesses creative qualities. In this context, the education system should be a dynamic process that embraces lifelong and continuous learning to meet the needs of this type of person. At the same time, this education should equip individuals with a well-rounded approach to applying knowledge. In this context, our study examines the fundamental elements of the information society through Peter F. Drucker's theoretical framework, discussing the concepts of knowledge, knowledge worker, and education. As a result, it is argued that in the information society, an educational approach that reveals individuals’ strengths, focuses on continuous learning, and ensures the effective application of knowledge is the main condition for the advancement of contemporary societies.

Keywords

Knowledge, Knowledge Society, Knowledge Worker, Education, Continual Learning