"Ältere" als Zielgruppe in der Erwachsenenbildung oder Ansätze einer Bildung in der zweiten Lebenshälfte?

Are "seniors" to be regarded as a target group in the way that academic continuing education conceives of a target group? If so, this would mean that age-specific features can be used in the classification of target groups and that corresponding and suitable educational concepts can be developed. Based on a meta-analysis of empirical studies on the participation of elderly people in education or on the impact of education on the life situation in old age, it can be observed that participation in continuing education decreases in the group of people 45 years old and older, but that "seniors" still cannot be regarded as a target group in many respects. At least calendar age does not present a meaningful criterion to determine target groups since it masks inter- and intra-individual differences. Nevertheless, education in the second half of life has an important and positive impact on one’s well-being and life situation. This is why a concept of education in the second half of life should be striven for, which is not oriented towards age but towards topics concerning specific life phases.