Waldorf pedagogy: educational keys and philosophical foundations

In the month of April 1919, an Austrian-born philosopher named Rudolf Steinr he lectured at the Waldorf-Astoria tobacco factory in Stuttgart, Germany. Before an audience made up mainly of members of the tobacco company's working class, Steiner he spoke about the need to build an educational model not based on the assumption that Human beings must learn to adapt to the demands of governments and large corporations. companies.

Schools, Steiner said, should serve so that all human potentialities develop naturally, not to equip the young with the tools with which they will later be forced to keep turning the wheels of state and industry.

A few months later, at the request of the general director of the factory, the philosopher created the new educational center for Waldorf-Astoria factory workers. The first of the so-called Waldorf schools had seen the light. Today they exist more than 1,000 Worldwide.

Understanding the origins of Waldorf schools

The ideals that the Austrian spoke about in his tobacco conference were part of the germ of a new way of understanding teaching and the possibilities of 

Personal development of what would later be known as Waldorf pedagogy, an educational system proposed by Steiner himself and which is still applied today in many private schools.

Why has it become so popular since the creation of the first Waldorf school? It will probably work in your favor. rejection of formal education which saw a new impetus from the movement New Age of the 70s and which has given oxygen to various "alternative" education initiatives in which formal education and the imposition of rigid patterns of behavior are rejected as much as possible.

Although Waldorf pedagogy had its beginnings in a period of economic and political instability in which the risk of poverty threatened to important layers of the population, the current welfare states have found a niche for these alternative schools as proof proof of the freedom with which certain people can choose (if they can pay for it) for the type of education that best suits them his philosophy.

What are the characteristics of Waldorf pedagogy?

It is clear that if the educational centers of the tradition initiated by Steiner exist, it is because There are people who recognize their qualities and know how to distinguish them from others, since it is basically Private schools. Now, what are these characteristics?

It is difficult to summarize in a few points the differentiating aspects that characterize Waldorf pedagogy, and even more considering Keep in mind that not all the schools that are attached to it do so in the same way, but the following can be highlighted points:

1. Embraces a “whole” or holistic approach to education

Waldorf pedagogy emphasizes the need to educate not only the intellect, but also human qualities whose scope goes beyond rationalitysuch as mood management or creativity. In practice, this means that aspects and skills are worked on in Waldorf schools whose potential is, according to Steiner's followers, insufficiently worked out in most of schools.

2. The idea of ​​"human potential" has spiritual overtones

Education is not conceived as a transmission of knowledge or a teaching and learning process whose fruits can be evaluated with standardized tools for evaluation and compliance with goals. It is, in any case, a dynamic between the student and the educational community that should allow them to develop both objectively measurable abilities and on a spiritual level.

3. Flexibility and creativity in learning are enhanced

The content of the school curriculum with which Waldorf schools work largely orbits around arts and crafts. In this way, students learn through the artistic representation of the contents of what is taught to them, either by creating their own stories related to what they have learned, inventing simple choreographies, drawing, etc.

4. The need to form educational communities is emphasized

From the Waldorf pedagogy strategies are sought to enhance the involvement of parents in the education of their children both at home and in extracurricular activities. At the same time, a large part of the activities carried out in Waldorf school classes have to do with daily activities of domestic life. In short, the appearance of a networked education in which both family members and pedagogical professionals participate is favored, so as not to reduce the teaching space to the school.

5. The focus is placed on the unique character of each student

From the Waldorf pedagogy, special emphasis is placed on the the need to offer personalized treatment to students, and this is reflected in a certain flexibility when it comes to evaluating the progress of each apprentice. Thus, in many cases, standardized tests are only used when it is essential and when the law of each country so requires.

6. Education adapts to the three phases of development in young people

Steiner theorized that during the first years of life, All humans experience three stages of growth, each with a type of learning associated with it.. According to this thinker we learn by imitation until we reach the age of 7, through rhythm, images and imagination between the ages of seven and fourteen, and from abstract thought in the early years later. In short, these three stages are ordered from a phase in which students can only learn from those images with which they are directly confronted to one in which they can freely conjecture about the reality that surrounds them.

Based on the idea of ​​development in three phases, Waldorf teachers are concerned with adapting the quality of learning to the stage of growth through which each student theoretically passes, and they believe that exposing a person to a type of teaching for which they are not prepared can be harmful to them. That is why, among other things, Waldorf schools are notorious for not teaching their students to read until they they do not reach the age of 6 or 7 (somewhat later than is usual in other schools), nor are they served of technologies like computers or video game until the students have not reached adolescence, from the belief that these devices could limit their imaginative capacity.

Progressive schools?

Waldorf pedagogy seems ahead of its time in many ways. For example, the idea that education goes far beyond the school classroom is something that it has only recently been taken up in mainstream education systems in some countries westerners. Similarly, not so long ago The notion of learning that is not based on the accumulation of practices and memorized lessons has become widespread among schools, but in the use of the tools provided by the teacher to learn certain things when the stage of development adjusts to those objectives, neither before nor after.

In addition, the need to educate young people in aspects that go beyond the use of the intellect is becoming increasingly important, something that is similar to Steiner's ideal of education, in which all the potentialities of the human being will be developed at the same time, in all the human dimensions and in as many contexts as possible (at school, at home, in activities of volunteering…). In this sense, Steiner's ideas seem to be closer to the objectives set by the models. current educational standards than the philosophical foundations of most turn-of-the-century schools. xx. Only recently, and parallel to what Waldorf pedagogy has been proposing for decades, The hegemonic ideal of what education should be has tended towards a holistic approach to teaching and to the need for teachers, parents and tutors to educate and cooperate from their different spheres of performance.

However, this image of a progressive educational system does not cover all the flanks of Waldorf pedagogy. This is so because, although Rudolf Steiner proposed a holistic approach to the education of young people, he did not proposed any kind of holistic approach, not one that would serve the good (in the abstract) of the students. The theoretical-practical principles of the educational system developed by Steiner connect with a current of spiritual thought that Steiner himself devised and that, of course, is unconventional today.

It is an intellectual current that is frequently compared to the type of religious philosophy typical of the sects and that, moreover, is far from the vision age of the educational models in vogue, which are increasingly based on the use of the scientific method to investigate the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of certain methods. That is why, before considering the possibility of resorting to a Waldorf school, It is convenient to know something about the type of esoteric thought in which they are based: the anthroposophy.

Anthroposophy: transcending the world of the physical

When Rudolf Steiner laid the foundations of Waldorf pedagogy, he did so with a very clear objective in mind: change society for the better. This is something that he shares with other thinkers related to the world of education, such as Ivan Illich, and of course, for a long time, important philosophers glimpsed for the first time the social and political repercussions of pedagogy, its potentialities, and the dangers of not paying attention to the dilemmas that arise. pose in it.

However, to fully understand Waldorf pedagogy, its methods and objectives, it is not enough to take into account the claims that Steiner harbored when developing his ideas. It is also necessary learn about the way in which this thinker conceived reality and the nature of the human being. Because Rudolf Steiner was, among other things, a mystic who believed in the need to access a spiritual world so that human potential could be fully developed.

All the original theory of Waldorf pedagogy has its raison d'être in the anthroposophy. This means that in order to fully understand the educational system proposed by this thinker, it is necessary to assume that it connects with a philosophy that addresses theological and esoteric issues far removed from the ways of understanding life and nature in Western countries of today. It is from this perspective of reality that Waldorf pedagogy makes sense, since their methods are not based on solid scientific evidence.

Among the postulates of anthroposophy is the assumption that there is a spiritual world that affects the physical world, which in some plane of reality there is reincarnation, that past lives affect the sense in which young people can develop and that human beings have the potential to develop organs to access the spirit world through a kind of self realisation. These ideas are not simple theory with which to fill textbooks, but rather shape the type of education that is given in Waldorf pedagogy and the goals of each of its teachers' actions.

Of course, the content of the lessons is also affected by this esoteric cultural baggage. Some of the teachings associated with Waldorf schools are the myth of Atlantis, creationism, the existence of a world spiritual knowledge that only initiates can access and a "spiritual science" that can be understood by accessing this reality alternative.

The conflict with science

As an esoteric current of thought, anthroposophy is itself a black hole for method. scientific despite the fact that from it very specific conclusions are drawn about the functioning of the world physical. This makes it conflict with the forms of pedagogy that want to mark the educational agenda based on empirical evidence. to check which educational methods work and which don't.

For example, the fact of dividing the ontogenetic development of the human being into various stages of growth, with all the Observable changes both in physique or in behavior, is something that psychologists have been doing regularly evolutionary. The stages of development proposals by jean piaget, for example, are a good example of this. However, Steiner's theory of child development is not based on a series of tests carried out following the scientific method, but rather It is based, basically, on his beliefs about the separation between body and soul and concepts of a theological nature from which his explanations started.

Thus, the methodology used by traditional Waldorf pedagogy does not respond to criteria provided by extensive scientific research on the most effective ways to teach and learn, but rests on a legacy of myths and theories impossible to verify. Waldorf pedagogy is not supported by science as we currently understand it. However, that does not mean that anthroposophy is not installed in several relevant entities.

A legacy that goes beyond theory

The scope for credulity is so wide within anthroposophy that it is not surprising that anthroposophy has flourished in many theories and even artistic styles. In fact, Waldorf pedagogy is not the only product of anthroposophy, but rather its main contribution in the field of education.

This current of thought makes incursions into all kinds of topics studied for centuries by philosophers and scientists, resulting in disciplines of a marked character. pseudoscientificsuch as biodynamic agriculture or anthroposophic medicine. That explains why Steiner's intellectual legacy continues to be present in all kinds of entities and organizations, from research groups to, for example, Triodos Bank.

The role that these entities have in the political and social sphere, although marginal, is still remarkable considering that they can act as pressure groups. Frictions between the guidelines to be followed in schools provided by state and supranational bodies and the principles of anthroposophy, linked to the assumption that there is a spiritual world that only some initiates can know.

In fact, the fit between the Waldorf pedagogy model and state regulations on education has also been somewhat problematic, and The organizations linked to anthroposophy constantly fight so that the educational guidelines given by public administrations do not suffocate the way of doing things in Waldorf schools and because the centers affiliated with anthroposophy can opt for public subsidies (something that has happened in some countries). An example of this is found in the Open EYE Campaign an initiative involving Waldorf teachers and aimed at putting pressure on the UK Department of Education to this molded its guidelines about how the education of children up to 5 years of age should be, so that its methodologies did not remain excluded.

Uncertainty around Waldorf schools

Is it possible that the divorce between the scientific method and Waldorf pedagogy does not make this educational system a bad alternative? It's hard to say, since Not all Waldorf schools function in the same way, nor do they have to fully embrace the esotericism with which Steiner expressed himself.. Similarly, it is difficult to know where the line lies between an orthodox Waldorf school and one that is simply influenced by the methods of Waldorf pedagogy or that it copies its strategies, without having anything to do with the anthroposophy. Many times the legal gaps and the lack of regulations in the name of the centers make the uncertainty makes it difficult to make an informed decision about whether a particular Waldorf school is a good one alternative.

On the one hand, many parents' associations complain about the legal vacuums in which some Waldorf schools operate and for this reason they ask that establish specific regulations that allow them to be sure of the type of activities and methodologies used in the centers educational. For the other, the efforts of many Waldorf schools to adjust to the demands of demand and public regulations mean that, at times practice, are poorly guided by Steiner's principles and therefore difficult to know what to expect from they.

Despite the informational limbo in which schools related to Waldorf pedagogy seem to float, it should be remembered that the fact that that Waldorf pedagogy renounces the scientific method means that the more these schools conform to Steiner's beliefs, the more the greater the risk that they may be implementing educational measures that endanger the integrity of very young children age. The lack of certainty about whether what happens in most Waldorf schools is appropriate for the students is itself a bad thing. Thus, the best way to judge how a Waldorf school works is to visit that particular school and judge on the spot.

Is Waldorf pedagogy harmful?

There is a relevant issue that goes beyond the questioning of the transparency, organization and operation of Waldorf schools. Is about the effects that teaching based on this educational system can have on the mental health of students, especially those who come into contact with this type of school at a very young age. After all, giving lessons on certain topics and spreading certain beliefs does not have to imply that you are attacking the psychological integrity of the students or that their learning is being delayed in certain areas, no matter how much what is taught does not have the endorsement of the science or the contrasted study of history, but the teaching modality and the approach when learning certain skills could be inappropriate.

The truth is that the only conclusion that can be drawn in this regard is that it is necessary to carry out research in this regard, because the lack of information is absolute. Few independent studies have been done that touch, even in passing, on topics that have to do with the effects of Waldorf pedagogy on the psychology of students, and by themselves they are insufficient to shed much light on the subject. Most of these investigations deal with the age at which it is best to start teaching reading and writing to the youngest, and no great differences between boys and girls who are taught in kindergarten and those who receive their first lessons on the subject from the age of 6 or 7 years. Thus, at the moment there seems to be nothing certain about the efficacy or negative effects of this style of teaching.

Some recommendations

Beyond the scientific research focused specifically on aspects of Waldorf pedagogy, there are some recommendations that can be made based on common sense. For example, young people diagnosed withautismmay find it difficult to adapt to an educational model that places so much emphasis on flexibility and the lack of structure of the activities and games, for which the Waldorf pedagogy does not seem to be the right one for them.

In the same way, many of the advantages that Waldorf pedagogy seems to offer are not exclusive to it, but are typical of private education in general. The clearest is the option of having classes with few students in which the personalized treatment of the teaching staff towards the student is possible due to the economic situation of the educational center. Today, what has opened the door to this possibility has not been the essentialist philosophy of a thinker, but the economic relief, wherever it exists.

Bibliographic references:

• Cunningham A. Carroll, J. m. (2011). The Development of Early Literacy in Steiner- and Standard-Educated Children. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(3), pp. 475 - 490.

• Ginsburg, I. h. (1982). Jean Piaget and Rudolf Steiner: Stages of child development and implications for pedagogy. Teachers College Record, 84(2), pp. 327 - 337.

• Steiner, R. (2001). The Renewal of Education. Great Barrington, Mass.: Anthroposophic Press. Originally published in 1977.

• Steiner, R. (2003). A Modern Art of Education. Great Barrington, Mass.: Anthroposophic Press. Originally published in 1923.

• Steiner, R. (2003). Soul Economy: Body, Soul, and Spirit in Waldorf Education. Great Barrington, Mass.: Anthroposophic Press. Originally published in 1977.

• Suggate, S. P., Schaughency, E. TO. and Reese, E. (2013). Children learning to read later catch up to children reading earlier. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28(1), pp. 33 - 48.

• Uhrmacher P. b. (1995). Uncommon Schooling: A Historical Look at Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophy, and Waldorf Education. Curriculum Inquiry, 25(4), p. 381 - 406.