The COVID-19 pandemic poses a health threat that has dominated media coverage. However, not much is known about individual media use to acquire knowledge about COVID-19. To address this open research question, this study investigated how the perceived threat is linked to media use and how media use is associated with perceived and actual knowledge about COVID-19. In a German online survey conducted between April 16 and April 27, 2020, N = 952 participants provided information on their perceived threat and media use to inform themselves about COVID-19. In this process, they indicated how well they were informed about COVID-19 (perceived knowledge) and subsequently completed a COVID-19 knowledge test (actual knowledge). Results indicated that individuals who felt more threatened by COVID-19 used media more often to inform themselves (b = 0.20, p < 0.001) but focused on fewer different media channels (b = 0.01, p < 0.001). Further, frequent media use was associated with higher perceived knowledge (b = 0.47, p < 0.001), but not with higher actual knowledge about COVID-19 (b = −0.01, p = 0.938), reflecting an illusion of knowledge. Additionally, using fewer media channels was linked to higher perceived (b = 2.21, p < 0.001) and actual knowledge (b = 2.08, p = 0.008). Finally, explorative analyses on the use of different media channels revealed that an illusion of knowledge emerged for using social media, public television, and newspapers. Potential explanations for the findings and implications for future research are discussed.

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The study investigates effects of the implementation of a law authorizing educational leave in Germany on individual participation in adult learning and education (ALE). In 2015, the federal state of Baden-Württemberg introduced the so-called Bildungszeitgesetz, legitimating an exemption for eligible employees of up to 5 days per year with continued payment of salary. Explaining participation in ALE is a central subject of educational research at national and international level. Current theoretical assumptions of rational choice and empirical findings of educational and socio-statistical research suggest that within the general population, individuals' availability of time affects the decision to participate and therefore lastly determines participation in ALE. However, current academia mainly discusses time as either a prerequisite for learning activities or as an observable outcome of participation and not as an explanatory factor. Furthermore, since recent studies remain on a descriptive level regarding influences of time on participation in ALE, no causal effects of the availability of time on participation are estimated. Hence, our study addresses this research gap by investigating effects of educational policy interventions such as the Bildungszeitgesetz on participation in ALE. Policy interventions are ideally suited to examine the significance of time resources for participation, as the implementation of the Bildungszeitgesetz provides a specific timeframe for employees to participate in ALE outside of their working time. Drawing on data from the German National Educational Panel Study, we employ a difference-indifferences estimation strategy with propensity score matching and instrumental variable to identify the direct causal effect of the implementation of the Bildungszeitgesetz on participation in ALE (N = 709). This combination toward causal inference controls for observed and unobserved baseline differences as well as heterogeneous treatment effects. The results reveal a non-significant but heterogeneous treatment effect of the implementation of the Bildungszeitgesetz on individual participation in ALE. Contrary to our theoretical assumptions derived from rational choice approaches, we cannot confirm the hypothesis that the availability of time resources due to the implementation of the Bildungszeitgesetz causes a positive effect on participation in ALE. Furthermore, the results reveal that the implementation causes decreasing participation rates for younger adults, women and significantly for migrants.

ZusammenfassungDie Corona-Pandemie hat den Handlungskontext der Weiterbildungsanbieter in Deutschland unabhängig von deren Merkmalen und Eigenschaften kurzfristig verändert und diese zu zeitnahen Anpassungen ihres Angebotes gezwungen. Für die Wissenschaft bietet ein solcher exogener Schock die Gelegenheit zu untersuchen, inwiefern es den Weiterbildungsanbietern gelingt, sich einer grundlegend veränderten Situation anzupassen und welche Einrichtungsmerkmale dabei eine Rolle spielen. In dem Beitrag untersuchen wir die theoretisch begründeten Annahmen, dass die Ausgangslage der Weiterbildungsanbieter vor der Corona-Pandemie in Bezug auf die Nutzung digitaler Formate und Medien ein entscheidender Faktor für die kurzfristige Umstellung des Angebotes in der Pandemie war und dass sich insbesondere kommerzielle Anbieter besser an die veränderte Situation anpassen konnten. Auf der Grundlage von wbmonitor-Daten aus 2019 und 2020 testen wir die Hypothesen mit Dose-Response und Difference-in-Differences (DiD) Modellen. Die Ergebnisse deuten auf exogene Faktoren hin, die den Anpassungsleistungen Grenzen setzen.

The increasing demand for integration courses in Germany (especially due to the crisis-induced migration of refugees) has raised the question in research and practice of how this change affects the supply and participation of continuing education providers. To address this issue, the present study explores the impact of increasing integration course counts and participation on regular course counts and participation in German state-funded public adult education centers (Volkshochschulen; VHS), which are the main providers of integration courses. For this, we apply longitudinal fixed effects analyses to the VHS statistics. Controlling for VHS-specific trends, we find that on average, an increase in integration course counts slightly decreases regular course counts. Regarding participation, we observe the opposite: Increasing participation in integration courses leads to a small increase in participation in regular courses.