Multispecies experiences in Waldorf education from an ecophenomenological perspective in environmental education

Abstract

This article analyzes experiences of correspondence established with the more-than-human world within the context of Waldorf education, bringing together contributions from ecophenomenology and multispecies perspectives through the lens of post-critical environmental education. The study adopted a qualitative approach and was conducted in a Waldorf early childhood education school through participant observation and ethnographic walks, resulting in the development of econarratives. Data analysis identified three emergent themes: affectivity in relationships with the more-than-human world, movement as itineration with~in nature, and playfulness and imaginative play with/in nature. The findings indicate that children's lived experiences foster processes of sensitive engagement, ecological perception, and the development of bonds with both human and non-human beings. The observed interactions demonstrate that everyday contact with nature, mediated by movement, imagination, and aesthetic experience, contributes to expanding ways of understanding and inhabiting the world. In this sense, Waldorf education shows potential to foster ecological sensibilities and relations of correspondence that challenge dualistic and anthropocentric conceptions, offering relevant contributions to contemporary debates in environmental education.