Waldorf Education in the Netherlands

The research question of this study is: How has Waldorf education in the Netherlands developed since the foundation of the first Dutch Waldorf school in 1923? The aim of this chapter is to identify and describe the discourse about Waldorf education in the Netherlands. Currently, there are over 18,500 students at 97 Waldorf primary schools and 27 Waldorf secondary schools in the Netherlands. With solid national rankings, Waldorf education has, in the last decades, been seen by parents as a good school with room for creativity and broad personal identity development of children. What is unique in the Netherlands is that both public and non-public schools are fully financed by the Dutch government. Waldorf education has gained popularity over the years and is accepted in Dutch society. Especially in the last decade, the number of Waldorf schools and students increased. In terms of worldview or the role of anthroposophy, Waldorf education has developed in the last century towards multiple perspectives and interpretations of the core principles or concepts of Waldorf education. The role and interpretation of anthroposophy varies within and among Waldorf schools

Heb je dit kind gezien?: Over de begeleiding van hoogbegaafde leerlingen op de vrijeschool.

Het begeleiden van hoogbegaafde leerlingen met een specifieke pedagogische vraag vraagt onherroepelijk iets extra’s van leerkrachten. Het bieden van onderwijs dat passend is voor deze leerlingen is beslist niet eenvoudig te realiseren in de dagelijkse praktijk. Passend onderwijs gaat over een zo passend mogelijk onderwijsaanbod aan alle leerlingen (Dekker, 2014). Daarbij staan de specifieke onderwijsbehoeften van leerlingen centraal. Dit betreft nadrukkelijk niet alleen leerlingen met een leerprobleem of beperking, maar ook hoogbegaafde leerlingen. Vanuit het nieuwe inspectiekader (Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2017) wordt gesteld dat scholen meer verantwoordelijkheid krijgen en moeten nemen ten aanzien van het vaststellen van onderwijsdoelen

Triggered and maintained engagement with learning among gifted children in primary education

Motivating gifted children to become and stay engaged with classroom tasks can be a huge struggle for primary education teachers. This concurrent parallel mixed method design study investigates the relative differences in the importance of the basic psychological needs between gifted children and children with an average IQ with respect to triggered and maintained engagement to learn. A total of 1,017 students (512 girls and 505 boys) from 35 schools participated in this study. The qualitative analysis showed that children identify a wide array of themes related to both the context of their learning experiences and to themselves. In addition, statistical analyses showed that while all children benefit from the fulfillment of their basic psychological needs, gifted children experience a greater need for autonomy support to become engaged in school tasks. To maintain engagement, even in the face of resistance, all children, regardless of their IQ, indicate that structure is important. Possible implications for teachers are addressed in the discussion

Table_2_Triggered and maintained engagement with learning among gifted children in primary education.DOCX

Motivating gifted children to become and stay engaged with classroom tasks can be a huge struggle for primary education teachers. This concurrent parallel mixed method design study investigates the relative differences in the importance of the basic psychological needs between gifted children and children with an average IQ with respect to triggered and maintained engagement to learn. A total of 1,017 students (512 girls and 505 boys) from 35 schools participated in this study. The qualitative analysis showed that children identify a wide array of themes related to both the context of their learning experiences and to themselves. In addition, statistical analyses showed that while all children benefit from the fulfillment of their basic psychological needs, gifted children experience a greater need for autonomy support to become engaged in school tasks. To maintain engagement, even in the face of resistance, all children, regardless of their IQ, indicate that structure is important. Possible implications for teachers are addressed in the discussion.</p

Table_1_Triggered and maintained engagement with learning among gifted children in primary education.DOCX

Motivating gifted children to become and stay engaged with classroom tasks can be a huge struggle for primary education teachers. This concurrent parallel mixed method design study investigates the relative differences in the importance of the basic psychological needs between gifted children and children with an average IQ with respect to triggered and maintained engagement to learn. A total of 1,017 students (512 girls and 505 boys) from 35 schools participated in this study. The qualitative analysis showed that children identify a wide array of themes related to both the context of their learning experiences and to themselves. In addition, statistical analyses showed that while all children benefit from the fulfillment of their basic psychological needs, gifted children experience a greater need for autonomy support to become engaged in school tasks. To maintain engagement, even in the face of resistance, all children, regardless of their IQ, indicate that structure is important. Possible implications for teachers are addressed in the discussion.</p