Critically Assessing the Reputation of Waldorf Education in Academia and the Public: Early Endeavours of Expansion, 1919-1955

The first of two volumes dedicated to this little-explored topic, this volume gathers international perspectives to critically assess how Waldorf education has been perceived and discussed in both public and academic arenas. The book thereby challenges the historical concept of Waldorf education as an international movement championing "progressive education." Spanning the period 1919-1955, this first volume looks at countries with a longstanding tradition of Waldorf schools: Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, and Finland. The second volume, which covers the period 1987-2004, focuses on more recent developments 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 ramifications 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 under-researched 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 benefit from the volume.

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.

Preface 1. Introduction: Waldorf Education as an (Inter)National Phenomenon and Subject of Discourse 2. The Educational Discourse on Waldorf Education in Germany 3. Waldorf Schools in German Society - Three Debates from 2007: Dogmatism, Racism and "the Empirical Turn" 4. Mind the Gap - New Players Are Taking the Stage: Waldorf Education in the German Academic and Public Discourse 5. Waldorf Education in The Netherlands 6. Three Discourses of Waldorf Education in Norway 7. The Steiner Schools in Switzerland with Regard to Reformpädagogik 8. "The School, Where You Learn How to Dance Your Name". An Analysis of the Public and Academic Debate about Waldorf Schools in Austria 9. Waldorf Education in Finland: Soft Alternative, Adaptation, and a Life in Suspicion