Abstract
This study investigates pedagogic practice in Swedish Waldorf Steiner schools using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, focusing on lived experiences of rhythm and balance, interpersonal processes, interaction, and trust between teachers and students, as well as their connection to mechanisms of power and control. It also explores the experience of belonging to a strong pedagogic tradition. Cognition and experience are understood as social phenomena shared by participants within a specific context, and theoretical perspectives are linked to general educational questions, the Swedish educational context, and Waldorf–Steiner practice. Data were constructed from written protocols, observations, and semi-structured interviews with ten Waldorf–Steiner teachers and analyzed through thematic analysis complemented by concepts from Basil Bernstein and relational pedagogy.
The findings indicate that Waldorf Steiner pedagogic practice in Sweden is characterized by a visible pedagogy with a clear rhythmical structure, where rhythmical and balanced methods shape both teaching and teacher–student interaction. During main lessons, classification and framing are strong but may shift toward a more interpersonal approach, dependent on trust between teachers and students. The study also shows that adaptation to the Swedish national curriculum has increased transparency and professionalism while reducing autonomy and affecting aesthetic elements of the pedagogy. Despite these compromises, the Waldorf–Steiner pedagogic tradition remains strong, with teachers acting as custodians of its methods while simultaneously challenging the tradition and identifying areas for further development.
Keywords: Waldorf Steiner pedagogy, trust, power and control, classification and framing, Basil Bernstein, relational pedagogy