The first essay (Tyson 2023) was concerned with the connection between anthroposophy, Bildung and... more The first essay (Tyson 2023) was concerned with the connection between anthroposophy, Bildung and Steiner pedagogy. It tried to explore how anthroposophy can be a valuable part of Steiner education when it is understood as an impulse of Bildung and that this means anthroposophy needs to be a source of transformation and new relationships. This essay builds on that discussion with a further elaboration.
Today there exists a growing amount of empirical research into Waldorf education and thereby also... more Today there exists a growing amount of empirical research into Waldorf education and thereby also a growing need to create an overview, especially for English-speaking audiences who cannot fully access the existing German-language ones (Peters 2020a; Böhle & Peters 2011, 2010). There are publications in English and German that provide a selected account (Dahlin 2017; Randoll & Peters 2015; Paschen 2010; Gidley 2010a) but a full survey in English focusing on empirical research has been lacking. This survey is an attempt to both give a comprehensive overview in English and to provide at least a glimpse of what the research has been about. The text is based on the third iteration of a survey done for the benefit of the students at the Waldorf University College (WLH) in Sweden. A previous article has explored research of a more theoretical nature (Tyson 2023). This survey focuses on empirical studies including historical research from 1990 onward.
There have been several reviews on empirical research on Waldorf/Steiner (henceforth Waldorf) edu... more There have been several reviews on empirical research on Waldorf/Steiner (henceforth Waldorf) education (Böhle & Peters 2010, 2011; Gidley 2010; Peters 2020). But, thus far, there seems to be no comparative review of theoretical research. Given the massive growth in research on Waldorf education over the past two decades it seems timely to attempt a first look at this literature. The aim of this review is mainly to provide an initial survey of the larger field of research. The hope is to assist future researchers in gaining a quick understanding of the various works relevant to their research.
International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 2016
A classic philosopher in the Bildung tradition, Humboldt argued that general Bildung was the oppo... more A classic philosopher in the Bildung tradition, Humboldt argued that general Bildung was the opposite of specialist training (vocational education). This has been a matter of contention and the aim here is to revisit the issue through an empirical case study. In the vocational education biography of craft master Wolfgang B. he speaks about aspects of his education that have much in common with Humboldt’s ideal of general Bildung but transposed into the context of vocational education and training (VET). The concept of vocationalism (Beruflichkeit) provides context to the present argument which is that the contrast Humboldt made is relevant but not in the sense of there being two categories of education (general and vocational) but rather two expressions of pedagogy: one expansive and one exclusive. Furthermore, there are two versions of general or expansive Bildung present in the case. The conclusions are that empirical studies of vocational Bildung expand on the concept of Bildung,...
Do you have to be an anthroposophist to be a Steiner teacher? In my work with teacher education I... more Do you have to be an anthroposophist to be a Steiner teacher? In my work with teacher education I am sometimes asked questions, quite important but also difficult, about the role of anthroposophy in Steiner education: 1 "Do you have to be an anthroposophist to be a Steiner teacher?" "Is it important that teachers talk about anthroposophical matters with each other at a Steiner school?" And other questions similar to these.
Steiner/Waldorf education has seen an increasing discussion regarding Eurocentrism, especially wi... more Steiner/Waldorf education has seen an increasing discussion regarding Eurocentrism, especially with regards to the so-called theory of cultural epochs that can be found in anthroposophy. This paper is an attempt to present a complete review of current research and the various perspectives represented in it. The framework is, roughly, postcolonial theory and its critique of Eurocentrism masking itself as universalizations as well as essentialisms. The review is structured into four categories: research on postcolonial frameworks and globalization; research on subject-didactics from a decolonial perspective, especially history and language; research on integrating Steiner education with indigenous education and intercultural education; and critical studies regarding the concept of the human being in Steiner education. It concludes with a discussion of the commonalities and differences between the various perspectives represented as well as some thoughts on themes left large unexplored.
Vocational education and training (VET) is a matter of teaching skills and the knowledge needed t... more Vocational education and training (VET) is a matter of teaching skills and the knowledge needed to perform vocational tasks. However, it is also about educating reflective practitioners (Schon 1983 ...
Som larare, oavsett om det ar yrkeslarare, grundskollarare eller andra, ar det bildningsdidaktisk... more Som larare, oavsett om det ar yrkeslarare, grundskollarare eller andra, ar det bildningsdidaktiska bland det svaraste att utveckla en praktisk skicklighet i. Arbetet som presenteras har ar ett fors ...
The paper presents a pilot study where a series of biographical conversations with craftmaster Wo... more The paper presents a pilot study where a series of biographical conversations with craftmaster Wolfgang B. focus on Bildung-experiences in the context of his vocational education. The aim of such c ...
The paper presents a pilot study where a series of biographical conversations with craftmaster Wo... more The paper presents a pilot study where a series of biographical conversations with craftmaster Wolfgang B. focus on Bildung-experiences in the context of his vocational education. The aim of such c ...
This compilation thesis, consisting of five articles, focuses on narrative explorations of vocati... more This compilation thesis, consisting of five articles, focuses on narrative explorations of vocational Bildung and wisdom in practice. It is an explicitly practical and empirical approach to what, f ...
Borderlands. A study of the aesthetic-practical environment, its pedagogical and therapeutical pr... more Borderlands. A study of the aesthetic-practical environment, its pedagogical and therapeutical properties based on the outline of two practices/institutions: the workshops at Hagastiftelsen and the ...
The aim of this article is to provide a framework for empirical research into the practice of Wal... more 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 B...
The focus of this paper is on education for vocational excellence (the combination of virtue and ... more The focus of this paper is on education for vocational excellence (the combination of virtue and good judgment or phronesis/practical wisdom) through an examination of an episode from the auto/biog ...
It is not uncommon to find arguments for why teaching is a moral practice in which the virtues an... more It is not uncommon to find arguments for why teaching is a moral practice in which the virtues and wise judgment of a teacher play a prominent role. What is less often explored are the ways in whic ...
The approach in this paper has been developed in order to document and develop the goods and virt... more The approach in this paper has been developed in order to document and develop the goods and virtues of various vocational practices from a practical knowledge perspective. The main concepts for th ...
An important issue for academic teacher education (as well as other academic and non-academic voc... more An important issue for academic teacher education (as well as other academic and non-academic vocational education) is the development of practical wisdom among students as a way to support their c ...
The Waldorf curriculum has seen various developments over the decades one being in the field of v... more The Waldorf curriculum has seen various developments over the decades one being in the field of vocational education. Most of this has happened in Germany and Switzerland and although much of it has been discussed in writing little is available in English and there is an absence of a complete review where the various initiatives are compared. The main purpose of this article is to review the literature on the topic as well as the practice in the field and these two elements make up the two major portions of the article. The result of this is at least threefold. First, it provides an orientation on the topic making further research and the development of practice easier. Second, it provides a good example of the flexibility of the Waldorf curriculum and access to some of the most extensive work done in developing aspects of it further. Third, it expands on the already established understanding of what the practical (craft) subjects contribute in the Waldorf context, creating a deeper...
The first essay (Tyson 2023) was concerned with the connection between anthroposophy, Bildung and... more The first essay (Tyson 2023) was concerned with the connection between anthroposophy, Bildung and Steiner pedagogy. It tried to explore how anthroposophy can be a valuable part of Steiner education when it is understood as an impulse of Bildung and that this means anthroposophy needs to be a source of transformation and new relationships. This essay builds on that discussion with a further elaboration.
Today there exists a growing amount of empirical research into Waldorf education and thereby also... more Today there exists a growing amount of empirical research into Waldorf education and thereby also a growing need to create an overview, especially for English-speaking audiences who cannot fully access the existing German-language ones (Peters 2020a; Böhle & Peters 2011, 2010). There are publications in English and German that provide a selected account (Dahlin 2017; Randoll & Peters 2015; Paschen 2010; Gidley 2010a) but a full survey in English focusing on empirical research has been lacking. This survey is an attempt to both give a comprehensive overview in English and to provide at least a glimpse of what the research has been about. The text is based on the third iteration of a survey done for the benefit of the students at the Waldorf University College (WLH) in Sweden. A previous article has explored research of a more theoretical nature (Tyson 2023). This survey focuses on empirical studies including historical research from 1990 onward.
There have been several reviews on empirical research on Waldorf/Steiner (henceforth Waldorf) edu... more There have been several reviews on empirical research on Waldorf/Steiner (henceforth Waldorf) education (Böhle & Peters 2010, 2011; Gidley 2010; Peters 2020). But, thus far, there seems to be no comparative review of theoretical research. Given the massive growth in research on Waldorf education over the past two decades it seems timely to attempt a first look at this literature. The aim of this review is mainly to provide an initial survey of the larger field of research. The hope is to assist future researchers in gaining a quick understanding of the various works relevant to their research.
International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 2016
A classic philosopher in the Bildung tradition, Humboldt argued that general Bildung was the oppo... more A classic philosopher in the Bildung tradition, Humboldt argued that general Bildung was the opposite of specialist training (vocational education). This has been a matter of contention and the aim here is to revisit the issue through an empirical case study. In the vocational education biography of craft master Wolfgang B. he speaks about aspects of his education that have much in common with Humboldt’s ideal of general Bildung but transposed into the context of vocational education and training (VET). The concept of vocationalism (Beruflichkeit) provides context to the present argument which is that the contrast Humboldt made is relevant but not in the sense of there being two categories of education (general and vocational) but rather two expressions of pedagogy: one expansive and one exclusive. Furthermore, there are two versions of general or expansive Bildung present in the case. The conclusions are that empirical studies of vocational Bildung expand on the concept of Bildung,...
Do you have to be an anthroposophist to be a Steiner teacher? In my work with teacher education I... more Do you have to be an anthroposophist to be a Steiner teacher? In my work with teacher education I am sometimes asked questions, quite important but also difficult, about the role of anthroposophy in Steiner education: 1 "Do you have to be an anthroposophist to be a Steiner teacher?" "Is it important that teachers talk about anthroposophical matters with each other at a Steiner school?" And other questions similar to these.
Steiner/Waldorf education has seen an increasing discussion regarding Eurocentrism, especially wi... more Steiner/Waldorf education has seen an increasing discussion regarding Eurocentrism, especially with regards to the so-called theory of cultural epochs that can be found in anthroposophy. This paper is an attempt to present a complete review of current research and the various perspectives represented in it. The framework is, roughly, postcolonial theory and its critique of Eurocentrism masking itself as universalizations as well as essentialisms. The review is structured into four categories: research on postcolonial frameworks and globalization; research on subject-didactics from a decolonial perspective, especially history and language; research on integrating Steiner education with indigenous education and intercultural education; and critical studies regarding the concept of the human being in Steiner education. It concludes with a discussion of the commonalities and differences between the various perspectives represented as well as some thoughts on themes left large unexplored.
Vocational education and training (VET) is a matter of teaching skills and the knowledge needed t... more Vocational education and training (VET) is a matter of teaching skills and the knowledge needed to perform vocational tasks. However, it is also about educating reflective practitioners (Schon 1983 ...
Som larare, oavsett om det ar yrkeslarare, grundskollarare eller andra, ar det bildningsdidaktisk... more Som larare, oavsett om det ar yrkeslarare, grundskollarare eller andra, ar det bildningsdidaktiska bland det svaraste att utveckla en praktisk skicklighet i. Arbetet som presenteras har ar ett fors ...
The paper presents a pilot study where a series of biographical conversations with craftmaster Wo... more The paper presents a pilot study where a series of biographical conversations with craftmaster Wolfgang B. focus on Bildung-experiences in the context of his vocational education. The aim of such c ...
The paper presents a pilot study where a series of biographical conversations with craftmaster Wo... more The paper presents a pilot study where a series of biographical conversations with craftmaster Wolfgang B. focus on Bildung-experiences in the context of his vocational education. The aim of such c ...
This compilation thesis, consisting of five articles, focuses on narrative explorations of vocati... more This compilation thesis, consisting of five articles, focuses on narrative explorations of vocational Bildung and wisdom in practice. It is an explicitly practical and empirical approach to what, f ...
Borderlands. A study of the aesthetic-practical environment, its pedagogical and therapeutical pr... more Borderlands. A study of the aesthetic-practical environment, its pedagogical and therapeutical properties based on the outline of two practices/institutions: the workshops at Hagastiftelsen and the ...
The aim of this article is to provide a framework for empirical research into the practice of Wal... more 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 B...
The focus of this paper is on education for vocational excellence (the combination of virtue and ... more The focus of this paper is on education for vocational excellence (the combination of virtue and good judgment or phronesis/practical wisdom) through an examination of an episode from the auto/biog ...
It is not uncommon to find arguments for why teaching is a moral practice in which the virtues an... more It is not uncommon to find arguments for why teaching is a moral practice in which the virtues and wise judgment of a teacher play a prominent role. What is less often explored are the ways in whic ...
The approach in this paper has been developed in order to document and develop the goods and virt... more The approach in this paper has been developed in order to document and develop the goods and virtues of various vocational practices from a practical knowledge perspective. The main concepts for th ...
An important issue for academic teacher education (as well as other academic and non-academic voc... more An important issue for academic teacher education (as well as other academic and non-academic vocational education) is the development of practical wisdom among students as a way to support their c ...
The Waldorf curriculum has seen various developments over the decades one being in the field of v... more The Waldorf curriculum has seen various developments over the decades one being in the field of vocational education. Most of this has happened in Germany and Switzerland and although much of it has been discussed in writing little is available in English and there is an absence of a complete review where the various initiatives are compared. The main purpose of this article is to review the literature on the topic as well as the practice in the field and these two elements make up the two major portions of the article. The result of this is at least threefold. First, it provides an orientation on the topic making further research and the development of practice easier. Second, it provides a good example of the flexibility of the Waldorf curriculum and access to some of the most extensive work done in developing aspects of it further. Third, it expands on the already established understanding of what the practical (craft) subjects contribute in the Waldorf context, creating a deeper...
Vocational education and training (VET) is a matter of teaching skills and the knowledge needed t... more Vocational education and training (VET) is a matter of teaching skills and the knowledge needed to perform vocational tasks. However, it is also about educating reflective practitioners (Schön 1983, 1987), supporting moral development and vocational ethics (Tyson 2015b, Corsten & Lempert 1997) and educating for the development of competences or key-qualifications (Rauner & Bremer 2004). These latter issues have been repeatedly argued on a philosophical or policy level and it has been established that the major part of this takes place in conjunction with skill-training and cannot be separated off from it (Rauner and Bremer 2004). There has been less work devoted to examining how such educational processes are encouraged and enacted, ie. their didactical aspects. In previous research (Tyson 2015a, 2015b), part of which was presented at last years ECER/VET-NET (Didactical narratives as part of educating for vocational excellence: articulating relationships between techne and phronesis), I have argued that these issues can be conceptualized as vocational Bildung and explored empirically as a form of practical didactical knowledge narratively articulated as stories of vocational Bildung-experiences and affordances. The aim of this paper is to continue on the same line of inquiry with a presentation of further empirical research. This research is an attempt to take the concept of vocational Bildung didactics (VBD) and introduce it into two academically based vocational teacher education programs (one focusing on nursing teachers and one encompassing a multitude of different vocational teachers). This is a way of exploring how the conceptual framework developed can be brought back to practitioners and also to examine the ways in which this kind of inquiry changes as it transforms from an extensive single biographical case study into two less elaborate multiple case studies.
In research on education the field roughly covered by the concept of Bildung has seen a wide-rang... more In research on education the field roughly covered by the concept of Bildung has seen a wide-ranging discussion philosophically but less has been said and done from an empirical and teacher-vocational perspective (Rittelmeyer 2012, Tyson 2015a, 2015b). Bildung includes matters such as: formation of character, ethical and aesthetic knowledge/capability, capacity for wise deliberation and reflection as well as the development of personal autonomy (Klafki 2000, Rittelmeyer 2012) and is defined here in close connection with the Aristotelian phronesis or practical wisdom (Tyson 2015b) in the sense that to afford Bildung in education, from a practical standpoint, is, to a large degree, about a teacher’s phronesis. The theoretical framework for this is phronetic social science as articulated by Flyvbjerg (2001) and Schram (2012). The aim in this paper is to present an outline of narratively articulated cases in Bildung didactics, a field of research closely related to both Bildungsgangdidaktik (Gessler 1988, Terhart 2009, Trautmann 2004) and reflective practice (Schön 1983, 1987). It can be understood as building on Schön’s work at the point where he explicitly states that his aim has not been to explore “wisdom in response to the ethical dilemmas of practice” (1987:xiii).
Som lärare, oavsett om det är yrkeslärare, grundskollärare eller andra, är det bildningsdidaktisk... more Som lärare, oavsett om det är yrkeslärare, grundskollärare eller andra, är det bildningsdidaktiska bland det svåraste att utveckla en praktisk skicklighet i. Arbetet som presenteras här är ett försök att, bland annat, bidra till att göra det bildningsdidaktiska problemet mindre svårhanterligt. Efter en inledande presentation av centrala begrepp som yrkesbildning, didaktik, berättelse och praktisk skicklighet så följer en genomgång av tre bildningsdidaktiska fallstudier och det hela avslutas med en diskussion kring vilket bidrag det här kan ge till didaktikkurser på lärarutbildningar och, i förlängning, till ett systematiskt forskningsarbete.
In research on education the field roughly covered by the concept of Bildung has seen a wide-rang... more In research on education the field roughly covered by the concept of Bildung has seen a wide-ranging discussion philosophically but less has been said and done from an empirical and teacher-vocational perspective (Rittelmeyer 2012, Tyson 2015a, 2015b). Bildung includes matters such as: formation of character, ethical and aesthetic knowledge/capability, capacity for wise deliberation and reflection as well as the development of personal autonomy (Rittelmeyer 2012) and is defined here in close connection with the Aristotelian phronesis or practical wisdom (Tyson 2015b) in the sense that to afford Bildung in education, from a practical standpoint, is about a teacher's phronesis. The theoretical framework for this is phronetic social science as articulated by Flyvbjerg (2001) and Flyvbjerg et al. (2012). The aim is to present a brief outline of narratively articulated Bildung didactics, a field of research closely related to both Bildungsgangdidaktik (Gessler 1988, Meyer 2009, Trautmann 2004) and reflective practice (Schön 1983, 1987), and then to discuss the first impressions of three multiple-case studies where the form of the inquiry has been scaled to produce a larger number of narratives. The empirical basis for this draws on four recent studies. One is the biography of craftmaster Wolfgang B. (Tyson 2015a, 2015b) and his paradigmatic narratives of Bildung didactics as experienced over the course of his vocational education. The three other studies have, in different ways, tried to scale the initial results from the biographical study by introducing more specific Bildung didactical question in various teacher education contexts as tasks for the teacher students. One is a study reported at ECER 2015 (Pedagogical imagination and practical wisdom: the role of good narratives in teacher education and professional development) concerned with narratives of successful conflict resolution among after-school care teachers. The second is a study with vocational teacher students and their stories of vocational Bildung experiences during their own vocational training. The third is a study with students at a nursing teacher program and their stories of existential Bildung didactical events in their experience and handling of patients' suffering and similar matters. Especially the latter two studies will be the focus of some reflection with the aim of clarifying some potentials, limitations and possibilities for VET teacher education in particular.
The study focuses on narrative explorations of vocational Bildung and wisdom in practice. It is a... more The study focuses on narrative explorations of vocational Bildung and wisdom in practice. It is an explicitly practical and empirical approach to otherwise mostly philosophical discussions. This is motivated by the relative lack of systematic knowledge on how to enact wisdom in practice and afford vocational Bildung to those engaged in vocational education and training. The absence of such knowledge makes it more difficult to develop educational practice and curricula and also leads to significant parts of the internal goods of practice to remain tacit, personal and local when they need to become articulated and shared. The aim has been to explore how Bildung and practical wisdom can enrich our understanding of vocational practice and didactics. Conceptually the inquiry has resulted in the framework of vocational Bildung didactics that provides the structure for engaging in this kind of research. Methodologically it has resulted in a kind of double didactical method: the case narratives function as articulations of practical knowledge regarding vocational Bildung and practical wisdom but also as the didactical tools for teaching this. Practically the inquiry has resulted in suggestions for curriculum development as well as ways in which the case narratives can be used to enrich the understanding of practitioners.
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A previous article has explored research of a more theoretical nature (Tyson 2023). This survey focuses on empirical studies including historical research from 1990 onward.
The aim of this review is mainly to provide an initial survey of the larger field of research. The hope is to assist future researchers in gaining a quick understanding of the various works relevant to their research.
A previous article has explored research of a more theoretical nature (Tyson 2023). This survey focuses on empirical studies including historical research from 1990 onward.
The aim of this review is mainly to provide an initial survey of the larger field of research. The hope is to assist future researchers in gaining a quick understanding of the various works relevant to their research.
In previous research (Tyson 2015a, 2015b), part of which was presented at last years ECER/VET-NET (Didactical narratives as part of educating for vocational excellence: articulating relationships between techne and phronesis), I have argued that these issues can be conceptualized as vocational Bildung and explored empirically as a form of practical didactical knowledge narratively articulated as stories of vocational Bildung-experiences and affordances. The aim of this paper is to continue on the same line of inquiry with a presentation of further empirical research. This research is an attempt to take the concept of vocational Bildung didactics (VBD) and introduce it into two academically based vocational teacher education programs (one focusing on nursing teachers and one encompassing a multitude of different vocational teachers). This is a way of exploring how the conceptual framework developed can be brought back to practitioners and also to examine the ways in which this kind of inquiry changes as it transforms from an extensive single biographical case study into two less elaborate multiple case studies.
The aim in this paper is to present an outline of narratively articulated cases in Bildung didactics, a field of research closely related to both Bildungsgangdidaktik (Gessler 1988, Terhart 2009, Trautmann 2004) and reflective practice (Schön 1983, 1987). It can be understood as building on Schön’s work at the point where he explicitly states that his aim has not been to explore “wisdom in response to the ethical dilemmas of practice” (1987:xiii).