What it’s like being a Waldorf teacher Results of an empirical survey

Abstract

Abstract. In 2011 Dirk Randoll carried out a major study on job satisfaction among Waldorf teachers. He looked at their working conditions, various aspects of work-load as well their general attitude to their profession. This article presents a comprehensive summary of his findings. Work-load and modes of coping with it were considered in relation both to conditions in the school system in general and to certain ones peculiar to Waldorf schools (e.g., management by the college of teachers, pedagogical ethos). In selected areas of concern answers given by state teachers were included by way of comparison. The questionnaire was filled in by a representative sample of 1,807 Waldorf teachers from 105 Waldorf schools in Germany. In addition to the areas already mentioned, the following aspects were addressed: training, salary levels, professional behaviour, and challenges for the future. The findings demonstrate a fairly high level of job satisfaction, although the pressure of work-load was felt to be high. A number of critical points also emerged, such as questions about the efficiency of participatory management and the prognosis for future development.

Keywords: Waldorf teachers, job satisfaction, empirical study, representative sample, professionalisation, future development.