ABSTRACT
Waldorf education today means more than 100 years of academisation, institutionalisation and global expansion of an alternative pedagogy rooted in Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy. From a Eurocentric epicentre, this development and dissemination was, among other things, shaped by (geo-)political conditions, religions and denominations as well as the state of the respective school systems. It led to diverse practices, reflected in heterogeneous discourses and receptions in both academia and the public, culminating in the question of what Waldorf education is or could be. Taking these observations, questions and the schism between the internationality of Waldorf education and the lack of (academic) research on this phenomenon as a starting point, the authors present a theoretical-methodological reflection of their approach and research perspective. In an inductive way and based on case studies of individual countries/regions, this shows the complexity and diversity of Waldorf education as it is reflected in the discourses in the public and academic sphere, tracing them back to their specific development and highlighting some emerging patterns in the implementation, reception and appearance of Waldorf education within a global scope.
