Page 34 - TWO OF A KIND • Erik Renkema

CHAPTER 1
for our research subject. For reliability reasons, all relevant empirical data in all research phases were coded and analyzed by using a digital program called QDA-miner. The analysis of all results from the coding process was discussed by the researcher and the co-supervisor in order to reach inter-raters consensus. Furthermore, reliability was increased by a consistent use of research procedures. Peer debriefing concerning the articles (Chapters 2 through 6) has been provided by the supervisor and the co-supervisor, as well as (for Chapters 2 through 5) by double blind review in the submission process of international journals for religious education. Articles 1 and 2 (Chapters 2 and 3) have been commented in a session of the Theology & Worldview research group at Windesheim University. Results of the research were also shared with PhD researchers at NOSTER (Netherlands School for Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion), researchers in the field of practical theology of the Protestant Theological University, and with teacher trainers and researchers at international conferences of the Religious Education Association and the European Teacher Education Network.
6. Outline
This dissertation consists of 5 central chapters. Each chapter was written as an academic article for an international peer-reviewed journal.
Chapter 2 describes the results of the first phase of our research: an online exploration of key values and religious education practice at cooperation schools. Our motive for mapping the field of all the cooperation schools for primary education was to explore similarities and differences in the school values as interpreted and mentioned by school principals and to detect common threads in the practices of religious education. These two reasons for this overall research provided the opportunity to design our further research based on the results.
We have to keep in mind the distinction between ‘informal’ and ‘formal’ cooperation schools (see section 2.2) while reading Chapter 2. Principals of these ‘informal’ cooperation schools answered our question by stating how they provided public education. However, this question refers to the obligation of ‘formal’ schools to offer this education. ‘Informal’ cooperation schools are legally either a nongovernment school or a public school; the first, the confessional school, does not have to meet this obligation. Still, all the principals did answer this question.
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