The second of two volumes dedicated to this little-explored topic continues to gather international perspectives to critically assess how Waldorf education has been perceived and discussed in both public and academic arenas. Both books thereby challenge the historic concept of Waldorf education as an international movement championing “progressive education.”
Spanning the period 1987–2004, this second volume focuses on more recent developments in Waldorf education in Japan, Israel, Spain, Poland, Kenya, France, Slovenia, and China. Throughout both books, over 25 leading scholars present 16 case studies spanning 14 countries to discuss the history and perception of Waldorf education in the context of respective school systems and societies. By exploring the ramifi cations of these case studies against the background of existing research, the books offer cutting-edge perspectives and prompts for scholarly debates for this as yet underresearched field.
This book will be of interest to researchers, scholars, and postgraduate students in international and comparative education, the theory of education, and the philosophy of education. Policy makers interested in the history of education as well as practicing teachers and school staff at Waldorf education institutions may also benefi t from the volume.
Table of Contents:
1: Steiner Education in Japan – Its Development and Potential
2: Waldorf Education in Israel: Dazzling Success amidst Resounding Failure
3: The Late Deployment and Consolidation of Waldorf Pedagogy in Spain
4: School of Imagination, School of Threats, Discourses around Waldorf School in Poland
5: Adopting and Adapting Waldorf Education: Returning to the Roots Through Waldorf Education in Kenya
6: Debating a Pedagogy without Talking about Pedagogy: The Controversies around Waldorf in the French General Press
7: Waldorf Education in Slovenia
8: Waldorf Education, a Lighthouse for Forgotten Chinese Pedagogical Wisdom
9: Patterns, Players, Perspectives. Epilogue on the International Reputation and Discussion on Waldorf Education
About the Author :
Ann-Kathrin Hoffmann is Research Assistant at the Department of Educational Sciences, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany.
Marc Fabian Buck is Lecturer at the Department of Educational Sciences, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany.
Review :
"This project represents a new step in international research on Waldorf education, bringing together scholars from different parts of the globe to examine Waldorf schooling through a variety of perspectives while engaging in transnational and cross-disciplinary dialogue. It offers an opportunity for comparative study of a contested form of alternative pedagogy in a range of societal contexts."
- Peter Staudenmaier is Associate Professor of History at Marquette University, USA.
"This project represents a new step in international research on Waldorf education, bringing together scholars from different parts of the globe to examine Waldorf schooling through a variety of perspectives while engaging in transnational and cross-disciplinary dialogue. It offers an opportunity for comparative study of a contested form of alternative pedagogy in a range of societal contexts."
Peter Staudenmaier Associate Professor of History at Marquette University, USA
