Waldorf Schools - Evaluations of Students Progress

Evaluations of Students Progress

For more details on this topic, see Studies of Waldorf education.

Education professor Heiner Ullrich, who has written about Waldorf schools extensively since 1991, argues that the schools successfully foster dedication, openness, and a love for other human beings, for nature, and for the inanimate world. Although studies about Waldorf education tend to be small scale and vary in national context, a recent comprehensive review of the literature concluded there is evidence that Waldorf education encourages academic achievement as well as "creative, social and other capabilities important to the holistic growth of a person". For example, the 2009 PISA study found that, compared to state school students, European Waldorf students are significantly more capable in the sciences. A smaller 2003 study of science education in American Waldorf schools found the scientific reasoning of Waldorf school pupils to be superior to that of non-Waldorf students, with the greatest gains in the later years of schooling.

Studies have also found differences in student engagement, creativity and general well-being. In comparison to state school pupils, European Waldorf students were shown to be significantly more enthusiastic about learning, to report having more fun and being less bored in school, to view their school environment as pleasant and supportive, as well as a place where they are able to discover their personal academic strengths. The study also showed that more than twice as many Waldorf students report having good relationships with teachers and that they report significantly fewer physical ailments such as headaches, stomach aches, and disrupted sleep. In 1996, a study of British and German third- through sixth-grade children found that Waldorf students averaged higher scores on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Ability than state-school students A study of artistic ability in British private and state schools found that Waldorf students achieved more accurate, detailed, and imaginative drawings than the comparison group. A study by Jennifer Gidley found that Waldorf students were able to develop richer and more detailed images, and that they had more positive views of the future.

A 2007 German study found that an above-average number of Waldorf students become teachers, doctors, engineers, scholars of the humanities, and scientists.