Adolescents and young adults are finding it increasingly challenging to connect with the world. What are Waldorf education’s responses to this issue?
During the early years of life, up until the beginning of formal schooling, it is crucial that children are presented with imaginative and vivid individual stories that depict the world pictorially, allowing them to experience themselves as active participants within their environment. This fosters a connection with their surroundings. From around the ages of 9–10, children begin to perceive themselves as separate from the world for the first time. At this stage, natural science education is introduced, with a methodological approach that develops the individual from the whole and re-establishes connection to the world through feelings. In upper school, scientific inquiry takes precedence, aiming to cultivate an interest in and engagement with the world.
Keywords: Waldorf education, Earthbound pedagogy, Anthroposophical education, Sustainability, Environmental education, Child development, Ecological Awareness, Holistic learning, Experiential learning, Natural science Education, Goethean science, Steiner pedagogy