Terje Sparby. NORENSE funding 2023: 260000 NOK

«Contemplative pedagogy» is umbrella term for educational approaches that include the use of meditation techniques. The area of contemplative pedagogy is growing. Some refer to a recent “contemplative turn” in pedagogy.  Different associations worldwide, such as the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education and the Contemplative Pedagogy Network, have been formed to support the inclusion of contemplative practice in education. The central issue for contemplative pedagogy is what kind impact contemplative practices can have in an educational context. The involvement of contemplative practices in education has shown to be impactful. This impact can be broadly conceived of as taking place in relation to the two areas of (i) measurable outcomes and (ii) self-reflective, transformative learning processes. Waldorf pedagogy was conceived by Steiner as having intimate ties to a contemplative practice and self-education of the teacher. Contemplative practices have been part of the lives of Waldorf teachers. This aspect of Waldorf education has, however, hardly been investigated. We aim to explore qualitatively the contemplative practices of Waldorf teachers and interpret the results in light of the contemplative turn in pedagogy. Since we are not testing or investigating any specific hypothesis but rather are trying to create an overview of the experiences of Waldorf teachers, the method is explorative, although it also will integrate elements from semi-structures qualitative interviews. Recruitment will make use of a combination of purposive sampling and snowball sampling, which is particularly useful when recruiting participants that are hard to find. We aim to recruit 20 participants, starting with recruiting participants from Norway before expanding if necessary. To relate our findings and experiences to the field of contemplative pedagogy, we will explore what benefits teachers have experienced in relation to their personal and vocational development (e.g. motivation, meaning, resilience, etc.), the educational/school setting, and transformative learning. From a theoretical perspective, we seek to investigate the interconnection between “inner” work, everyday life at schools, and society. Hence, we seek to understand experiences and processes relating to contemplative practice, the positives and negatives of such practices, what/how contemplative practices are actually useful, and the kind of transformative experiences they may lead to.