Exploring Waldorf education as a practice through case narratives: a framework for empirical research

Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide a framework for empirical research into the practice of Waldorf education with a particular emphasis on its Bildung-related aspects and to outline some of its potential contributions. Conceptually it rests on a biographical and empirical case narrative approach to Bildung in connection with MacIntyre’s concept of a practice. It represents a combination of the auto/biographical approach of narrative inquiry with research into enacted and experienced curricula through extreme and paradigmatic narrative cases. The two cases presented are auto/biographical and are used to clarify and explore the implications of the argument. The conclusion highlights a number of ways in which the collection and interpretation of this kind of cases can contribute: exploring “conceptual environments”, for practice development, in teacher education, making Waldorf education more accessible to “outsiders” and considering ways in which the tension between education for Bildung and effective training can be reconciled.