The learner perspective on the Waldorf class teacher system – an exploratory study

Abstract

Abstract. The class teacher period from class 1 to 8 is one of the fundamental concepts in Waldorf Education. Nevertheless it has been discussed recently with respect to the question of contemporary adequacy. This fact has motivated High School students of the Landesschülerrat in Hessen to initiate a survey in respect of the following aspects: 1. Retrospective evaluation of the time spent with the class teacher; 2. Teacher-student relationship; 3. Learning in classroom (especially in the 8th grade); 4. Transition to High School; and 5. Evaluation of selected subjects. The article reviews the findings of an explorative study in the term 2011/2012 and it is based on a data set of 423 students. Keywords: Class teacher, Waldorf School, teacher-student relationship, learning in classroom, transition to High School