Crises, emergencies, and disasters—whether exceptional situations or part of everyday life—are unique educational contexts. They require special skills from educators, emergency responders, and the general public alike. At the same time, the associated inequalities, attributions of responsibility, and educational measures must be critically examined. As part of our research, we also examine a broad spectrum of issues in the field of disaster education (DE) from the perspective of adult education.

DE has diverse connections to other concepts related to disaster risk education, disaster prevention education, preparedness education, civil defense education, and emergency education. The contexts in which these concepts emerged range from political organizations to specific disciplinary and situational contexts, such as wars, pandemics, or natural disasters.

From our perspective DE is a comprehensive concept that encompasses formal, non-formal, and informal learning processes related to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Including adult education—which is our primary focus—it spans the entire lifespan. The subject areas range from anthropological and ethical questions, through institutional responsibilities and organizational structures, necessary knowledge and skills, to specific requirements for methodology and pedagogy, which we also address through international comparative, transdisciplinary, and interdisciplinary approaches.

Our work is divided into several, often interrelated subject areas. These include, amongst others:

• Preparing the public for crises and disasters: Empirical research on how well people are prepared for crisis situations such as power outages, floods, or supply shortages, with a particular focus on what knowledge and skills are necessary and available.
• Education in civil protection: Concepts, formats, and impacts of adult education in formal and informal settings, particularly which formats are offered and how they are received, as well as what forms of informal and self-organized learning exist.
• Professional continuing education: Requirements, formats, and impact of professional continuing education for civil protection personnel from the perspective of didactic and conceptual orientation and the training of instructors.
• Theoretical conceptualization: Theoretical and conceptual foundations and critical reflection on teaching, education, training, and socialization in the context of emergencies, crises, and disasters.

PREP - Informal and self-directed learning processes amongst the general public in the field of emergency preparedness (2024-2025)

As part of the project, we investigated the extent to which the general public seeks information on the topic of ‘emergency preparedness’ and how they can be categorised in terms of their information-seeking and learning behaviours. Particular attention was paid to the informal use of information and learning resources. In particular, we examined the ‘prepper’ subculture, looking at both the digital information and learning resources they use and those they create themselves, as well as individual and collective learning processes.

Website: https://sowi.rptu.de/en/fgs/paedagogik/forschung/projekte-erwachsenenbildung/projektuebersicht/prep 

PREP-MAP - Mapping and comparative analysis of private emergency preparedness (2026-2027)

The aim of the project is, first and foremost, to systematically examine how private emergency preparedness is conceptualised and operationalised in German population surveys. The focus is on material preparedness, as this is taken into account in most surveys and provides a sound basis for comparison. In addition, cognitive preparedness – including practical skills – social preparedness, and various antecedents (e.g. psychological factors, as well as contexts of learning, information and experience) are recorded.

Website: https://sowi.rptu.de/fgs/paedagogik/forschung/projekte-erwachsenenbildung/projektuebersicht/prep-map

MEGIK - Mental health in times of war: Institutional recommendations and real-world practice in the Ukrainian civil defence service (2026)

The focus is on the question of how practices relating to learning, information-seeking, networking and knowledge transfer take shape in the context of war. To this end, the project analyses which stress-coping strategies are conveyed in institutional materials, which actors design these resources, and which target groups they are aimed at, as well as how these groups perceive and utilise them. The project also examines the relationship between professional and institutional recommendations and the coping practices actually employed by the civilian population.

Website: https://sowi.rptu.de/fgs/paedagogik/forschung/projekte-erwachsenenbildung/projektuebersicht/megik 

NoVo – Emergency and disaster preparedness at adult education centres: Programme structures and participants’ perspectives (2026–2027)

The aim of the project is to systematically catalogue the existing educational programmes on emergency and disaster preparedness offered by adult education centres and to map their geographical distribution. In addition, the content and organisational structure of the identified programmes will be analysed. Furthermore, a survey of participants in such events will be used to investigate which groups of people make use of the programmes, what motivates their participation, and how they perceive and evaluate the events.

Website:https://sowi.rptu.de/fgs/paedagogik/forschung/projekte-erwachsenenbildung/projektuebersicht/novo

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Grossmann, J., Lacher, S., Rohs, M., & Fliegener, L. (2026). Household disaster preparedness in Germany: The roles of preparedness engagement and living conditions. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 143, 106343. doi.orgdoi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2026.106343

Lacher, S. (2025a). Vorbereitet in die Katastrophe. Erwachsenenbildung, 71(2), 70-73. 

Lacher, S. (2025b). Exploring Disaster Preparedness: A Scoping Review of Adult and Continuing Education Approaches in International Civil Protection Research. Journal of Risk Research, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2024.2447252

Lacher, S., Fliegener, L. & Großmann, J. (2025). Das Prinzip der Teilhabe und Mechanismen der Exklusion in der nationalen Disaster Education. In M. E. von Eschenbach, M. Kondratjuk, K. Kraus, M. Rohs, H. Bremer, S. Cora, L. Eble, C. Opheys, S. Schreiber-Barsch, F. Wagner & T. Zosel (Hrsg.), Teilhabe durch Teilnahme? (S. 133–144). Verlag Barbara Budrich. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.34605948.13

Lacher, S., & Matvienko, J. (2026). Selbstschutz zum Nachlesen. Bevölkerungsschutz(2), 37-41. https://www.bbk.bund.de/DE/Infothek/Magazin-Bevoelkerungsschutz/Ausgaben/magazin-2026-2/2-2026-Fachartikel/3-Selbstschutz-zum-Nachlesen/3-selbstschutz-zum-nachlesen_node.html 

Lacher, S., & Rohs, M. (2023). Katastrophen als Lernanlass. Bevölkerungssschutz(2), 34-38.

Lacher, S., & Rohs, M. (2023). Civil protection through adult and continuing education in Germany. A scoping review of an emerging research field. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2023.2263651 Lacher, S. & Rohs, M. (2025). Environmental Commitment at the Crossroads? Exploring the Dialectic of Risk Prevention and Climate Protection. Sustainability, 17(24), 10891. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172410891

Lacher, S., & Rohs, M. (2024a). Erwachsenenbildung als Beitrag zu einer Katastrophenvorsorge: Eine empirische Untersuchung zu Informations- und Lernangeboten für den Hochwasserschutz. In M. Ebner Von Eschenbach, B. Käpplinger, M. Kondratjuk, K. Kraus, M. Rohs, B. Schmidt-Hertha, K. J. Rott, & V. Thalhammer (Hrsg.), Erwachsenenbildung und Nachhaltigkeit. Sondierungen und Forschung zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit (S. 129-142). Barbara Budrich.

Lacher, S., & Rohs, M. (2024b). Bevölkerungsschutz in der Erwachsenen-/Weiterbildung. Erträge und Desiderate eines vernachlässigten Forschungsfeldes. In Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe (Hrsg.), Forschung für den Bevölkerungsschutz (S. 148-150). BBK (Online)

Lacher, S., & Rohs, M. (2025a). Selbstschutz lernen. Potenziale und Grenzen für den Selbstschutz – Lernressourcen für die Notfallvorsorge. Bevölkerungsschutz(4), 59-62. https://www.bbk.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/BSMAG_Artikel/2025-05/2025-04_14-online.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1 

Lacher, S. & Rohs, M. (2025b). Environmental Commitment at the Crossroads? Exploring the Dialectic of Risk Prevention and Climate Protection. Sustainability, 17(24), 10891. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172410891

Lacher, S., & Rohs, M. (2026). Preparedness Without Pedagogy? An AI-Assisted Web Scraping Analysis of Informal Online Disaster Preparedness Resources for the Public. Education Sciences, 16(1), 146 https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16010146 

Lacher, S., Rohs, M., Großmann, J. & Fliegener, L. (2025). Wissen, Vorräte, Kompetenzen: Wie gut ist die Bevölkerung auf Katastrophen vorbereitet? Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Bevölkerungsbefragung. BBK Bevölkerungsschutz(1), 30-33.

Lacher, S., Rohs, M., Grossmann, J., & Fliegener, L. (2026). Adult education for disaster preparedness. A cluster analysis of learning strategies and training needs in Germany. Studies in the Education of Adults, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/02660830.2026.2635025 

Pastrana Huguet, J., Eschenbacher, S., Gavari Starkie, E. I., Grau Vila, C., Kitagawa, K., Lacher, S., Navarro González, M. I., Rohs, M., Stolzenburg, K., Svennevig, H., & Williams, S.-J. (2026). Disaster and climate education (DCE). Reflections from the 2025 European symposium of the Disaster and Climate Education Network. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19727206 

Rohs, M., & Lacher, S. (Hrsg). (2025). Ratgeber für Notfälle. Eine Analyse des Nutzens aus Perspektive des Bevölkerungsschutzes (Beiträge zur Erwachsenenbildung, Band 16). RPTU. https://kluedo.ub.rptu.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/9206 

Rohs, M., & Lacher, S. (2026). Erwachsenenbildung für Krisen und Katastrophen. In D. Schaeffer, L. Griese, H. Singh, M. Ewers, & K. Hurrelmann (Hrsg.), Gesundheitskompetenz in Krisenzeiten. Ergebnisse und Analysen (S. 300-307). Beltz Juventa.

Rohs, M., Lacher, S., & Großmann, J. (Hrsg.). (2025). Notfall- und Katastrophenvorsorge in Deutschland. Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Bevölkerungsbefragung (Beiträge zur Erwachsenenbildung, Band. 17). RPTU. https://kluedo.ub.rptu.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/9208