Holistic Education

Holistic Education in the Public Sector: Examining Parent’s Perceptions of Waldorf Charters

by Abigail Larrison

Holistic Education and the Brain: A Look at Steiner-Waldorf Education

by Abigail Larrison

Holistic education: An analysis of its pedagogical application

by Lucila Rudge

Rudge, L. (2010). Holistic education: An analysis of its pedagogical application. Saarbrücken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing.

This book is a theoretical and interpretative study, in which I analyze and evaluate the pedagogical application of... more This book is a theoretical and interpretative study, in which I analyze and evaluate the pedagogical application of the philosophical ideas advocated by the holistic education movement in four approaches to schooling.
Holistic education is an eclectic and inclusive movement, which emerged in the mid-1980s as a response to the then-dominant worldview of mainstream education. It is an educational paradigm that integrates the idealistic ideas of humanistic education with spiritual and philosophical ideas, incorporating principles of spirituality, wholeness, and interconnectedness along with those of freedom, autonomy, and democracy. Holistic education theorists assume an integration of spirituality and humanistic ideals, a combination that most progressive and democratic movements in education have attempted to keep separate.
While these principles may be combined philosophically into an ideal of education, I questioned whether they could be jointly applied in an approach to education. The question I ask in this study, therefore, is as follows: is it possible to apply pedagogical principles of spirituality, along with principles of freedom and democracy, into a single approach to education?
To carry out this study, I selected four approaches to schooling that draw on holistic educational ideals, and explored the pedagogical application of the principles advocated by the leading theorists in the holistic education movement. I then examined some of the tensions that arose as I compared the application of these holistic principles in different approaches to schooling.
In the following sections, after I discuss the field of holistic education, I provide a more detailed account of this study’s nature, purpose, and mode of inquiry.

Looking for Unity in Knowledge Domains: Re-inviting Art and Sciences to Howzeh ye Elmyie

by Mohammad Reza Aghaya

Theories and Paradigms of the Future

by Tom Lombardo

In this paper, I present an overview of the broad range of general theories and paradigms of the future. Theories and... more In this paper, I present an overview of the broad range of general theories and paradigms of the future. Theories and paradigms of the future often begin with the belief that humanity is in the midst of a pervasive world transformation and attempt to explain the transformation and where the big changes may be taking us. There are, though, significant differences among theories on these basic questions. I describe a variety of the debates and conflicts between these different points of view and conclude the chapter with a summary of key themes and issues.

Theories of the future often focus on some particular theme or themes considered of central importance in the nature and organization of future events. I have grouped theories and paradigms according to a set of basic themes. Some theories, because they are broad and comprehensive and integrate several themes, could be listed under different themes. The theories are organized according to the following general themes:

Theories that Highlight Time and Change
Theories that Highlight Science, Technology, and Rationalism
Theories that Highlight Ecology and Nature
Theories that Highlight Psychology and Human Relations
Theories that Highlight Society, Culture, and Morals
Theories that Highlight the Spiritual, Religious, and Mystical
Integrative Theories

The descriptions of theories included provide a general overview of contemporary futurist thought; I have attempted to identify what I think are the most important, influential, and distinctive theories. The list is not intended to be definitive or complete – there are simply too many theories. The list does, however, provide a broad sampling of different approaches and areas of focus.

Integrative, Holistic Wisdom-Based Futures Education

by Tom Lombardo

Futures education provides the ideal framework for providing college students with a high quality integrative and... more Futures education provides the ideal framework for providing college students with a high quality integrative and holistic education. In this paper, I describe the evolution and structure of such a futures-focused educational program. Many lines of thought and diverse themes—a result of work I have done within the Center for Future Consciousness—have contributed to the development of this program. I highlight some of its key features, including the multi-faceted enhancement of future consciousness; the development of character virtues and wisdom; inter-disciplinary and psychologically holistic education; deep learning and higher cognitive skills; and sustainability and environmental ethics. Further, I describe general grading criteria, assignments, and the student-teacher learning community within this program. The overall thrust of the program is two-fold: to enhance the quality, depth, and breadth of the student’s mind, and to facilitate the development of individuals who can contribute to the betterment of human society in the future. 

Degrees of School Democracy: A holistic framework

by Philip Woods

Co-authored with Glenys Woods. To be published in Journal of School Leadership, 2012.

This article outlines an analytical framework which enables analysis of degrees of democracy in a school or other... more This article outlines an analytical framework which enables analysis of degrees of democracy in a school or other organisational setting. It is founded in a holistic conception of democracy, which is a model of working together that aspires to truth, goodness and meaning and the participation of all. We suggest that the analytical framework can be used not only for research purposes but also to help enhance democratic professional participation: it is a resource for collaborative professional development by practitioners, offering a vehicle for school communities to reflect together on where they are as a school and where they would like to be.

From Stories to Dialogue: The Student's Path to Freedom

by Meghan Halimah Harden

The Archetypes and Philosophical Motivations of Urban Elementary Physical Educators

by Brian Culp

Positive management education: creating creative minds, passionate hearts, kindred spirits

by Fahri Karakas

Karakas, F. 2011.  Positive Management Education: Creating Creative Minds, Passionate Hearts, Kindred Spirits.  Journal of Management Education (In press).

The goal of this article is to explore positive management education, a practice-based teaching and learning model... more The goal of this article is to explore positive management education, a practice-based teaching and learning model centered on positive organizational scholarship. Six signs of transformation in organizations are presented: complexity, community, creativity, spirituality, flexibility, and positivity. A model for positive management education is introduced, based on six related dimensions: fostering integrative and holistic thinking, building a sense of community through high-quality relationships, developing creative brainstorming and skill building through innovative projects, integrating spirituality into the classroom, fostering flexibility and empowerment, and designing positive enabling, nurturing learning platforms. This positive management education model is illustrated through selected best practices from a pilot study of an experiential organizational behavior course.