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.

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.

Beyond formal education, continuing adult learning and education (ALE) is considered as successful means for supporting immigrants’ integration into the receiving society. Although recently, subjective parameters of immigrants’ integration (e.g., life satisfaction) have received increasing academic attention, research on the impact of education on subjective integration indicators is still rare. To address this, the present study contributes to the literature by investigating the effect of ALE participation on life satisfaction in a longitudinal design. The study compares the effect for the group of immigrants with the group of natives in order to estimate whether the potential education effect on life satisfaction is equally strong for both groups or stronger for the group of immigrants (interaction effect). For this, the study uses seven waves of panel data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) with N = 6386 individuals, of which N = 1002 individuals have a migration background. Methodologically, a Random Intercepts Cross-Lagged Panel Model is applied. This allows distinguishing within-person fluctuations from trait-like between-person differences. On the between-person level, we find a significant link between ALE participation and life satisfaction for both immigrants and natives. However, on the within-person level, no significant cross-lagged effects are observed. Moreover, we find no support for an immigrant-native gap in life satisfaction.

Education is often targeted as a key resource for integration of people with migration background. A silent assumption in many discussions is that beyond formal education, adult learning and education (ALE) also fosters integration, especially higher psychological identification with the receiving society. Still, empirical evidence testing this assumption is rare. To address this issue, the present study investigates the effect of ALE participation on national and ethnic identification of people with migration background in a longitudinal design. The study uses data from the adult starting cohort of the German National Educational Panel Study with a sample size of N = 799 individuals. Structural equation model consisting of true intra‐individual change models and a general propensity score are applied. We find no significant effect of ALE participation on neither national identification nor ethnic identification. However, we find a significant positive association between a change in national identification and a change in ethnic identification over time: An increase in national identification over time is associated with an increase in ethnic identification over time, supporting the idea of the integration strategy being pursued in Germany.

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