The young child’s journey of ‘the will’
A synthesis of child-centered and inclusive principles in international Waldorf early childhood education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12724875 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kate Attfield (0000-0003-1547-4578, Cardiff Metropolitan University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 159-171 |
| Publication date | 2021-10-12 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Early Childhood Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1476-718X • E-ISSN: 1741-2927 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1476718x211051184 |
| OpenAlex | W3205735943 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 18 |
Within the education academic arena, there is almost no established research on the alternative Waldorf (or Steiner) education movement in the US or UK. This primary research investigates Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy of early childhood Waldorf education, and its child-centered and inclusive core. Ten kindergarten teachers in the US and UK educating children ages three through seven were interviewed on their values and practices, and on intrinsic notions of inclusion, which are scrutinized according to Lani Florian's inclusive pedagogy. Contrasting interpretation among practitioners on educating diverse learners emerge. US and UK Waldorf education appear situationally different, and yet the underlying educational ethos fundamentally remains the same. An anthroposophical understanding of the human being, and ‘the will’ of the kindergarten child who learns through imitation and play, underlies this far-sighted, holistic basis. Recommendation is for Waldorf early childhood studies to enhance transnational networks among themselves, and to make connections with broader academic educational clusters, in particular those on inclusion
Developmental psychology · Early childhood · Early childhood education · Ethos · Higher education · Imitation · Inclusion (mineral · Interpretation (philosophy · Pedagogy · Philosophy of education · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Diverse Education Studies and Reforms · Early Childhood Education and Development · Education Methods and Practices · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology
Radical Inclusive Education
Children’s participation in the organisation of a kindergarten classroom
Building strong teacher–child relationships in today’s kindergarten classroom
Young children as playwrights and their participation in classroom peer culture of sociodramatic play
More than words
Teacher fidelity to Conscious Discipline and children’s executive function skills
Signature pedagogies in the professions
Play's relation to health and well-being in preschool and kindergarten
Preparing Teachers to Work in Inclusive Classrooms
The infantilized researcher and research subject
Doubt and excitement
| Citations per year | 1.25 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |