Second Study on Confirmation Work in Europe (2012–2017)
The second international study was conducted in 2012-2013 and published in 2015. Nine European countries took part in it – in addition to the seven countries of the first study, Hungary and Poland joined the team. Moreover, the German Methodist Church also took part, and there was a parallel project in the United States. The focus of the second study was on long-term developments and tendencies that can be described in two respects:
- The study was carried out five years after the first study. This implies that comparisons over time became possible, especially since about two thirds of the items in the questionnaires remained the same. Consequently, the results from 2007/2008 and from 2012/2013 allow for valid comparisons. These comparisons show both, important changes as well as surprising continuities.
- The study used a third questionnaire for the adolescents two years after confirmation (in the year 2015). In this way it became possible to gain insights into the changes taking place after confirmation, at a group level as well as at an individual level.
With a sample size of more than 28.000 confirmands the second study is one of the biggest studies on youth and religion in Europe.