EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE: AGE-RELATED CHANGES AND COHORT DIFFERENCES

Abstract

Participation in educational activities (e.g. go to lectures, take classes) decreases with age. Previous research shows educational activities are associated with better health and well-being throughout the lifespan, therefore, it is important to understand how age affects educational participation. However, it remains an open question, if changes in educational behavior reflect age or cohort differences or primarily indicate changes in opportunity structures, e.g. transition into retirement. Using data of two national representative surveys of Germany, this study aims at disentangling cohort differences and age-related changes in educational activities. Participation in educational activities will be analyzed using cohort-sequential data of the German Ageing Survey (N = 20.113, 40–85 years old, samples assessed in 1996, 2002, 2008, 2014) and longitudinal data of the National Educational Panel Study (N = 13.115, 40–70 years old, annually assessed since 2009). Analyses of the cohort-sequential data show age differences in educational activities consistent with previous findings: Participation in educational activities in adulthood is more common than in old age. However, individuals around the retirement age (58–69 years) increased their participation over time. Preliminarily analyses indicate that generations approaching old age now are more active then generations before them. Those results will be complemented by examining age-related changes using longitudinal data. Findings will be discussed with regard to implications of age-related changes and cohort differences in educational activities as well as to what extent changing opportunity structures, e.g. being employed vs. being retired, account for differences in educational activities in the second half of life.