Increasing levels of teacher burnout, premature retirement (Weber, 2004), and mental health problems (Bauer et al. 2005) within the teaching profession have given rise to a European discourse on ways to tackle these pressing issues. Furthermore, many researchers have highlighted the growing gap between theory and practice in teacher training (Korthagen, 2011), and the need for a revision and redefinition of the pedagogical tasks of the school (Biesta & Miedema, 2002). Fruitful avenues for resolving some of these issues have come from prominent researchers who have highlighted the increasing importance of promoting the social and emotional aspects in teacher training (Hargreaves, 1998; Roeser et al. 2012; Jennings et al. 2009) in order to equip teachers with the necessary resources to manage the increasing demands of the profession. There is both empirical and theoretical support for this. Studies have illustrated the influence of negative emotions on burnout and premature retirement (Frenzel et al. 2009) and the positive influence of social emotional variables such as mindfulness on reducing burnout and teacher stress (Flook et al. 2013).  Jennings and Greenberg (2009) have introduced the Prosocial Classroom Model to explain the importance of the teacher’s social and emotional competencies in improving teacher student relationships, class management, and classroom climate, which they propose leads to healthier social and emotional outcomes for pupils and increased academic success.

This trend towards emphasizing the social and emotional aspects of the teacher has strong affinities with Waldorf teacher training programs, and its strong emphasis on the arts as a tool for social and emotional self development and pedagogical competency. Thus the Waldorf teacher training centres provide an ideal environment in which to examine Jennings and Greenberg´s Prosocial Classroom Model and explore the social and emotional aspects of teacher training and their relation to the aforementioned difficulties facing teachers today. The Waldorf teacher training programs began 80 years in Stuttgart, Germany. It now has over 800 schools world wide. However, up till this point, no strict empirical research has been conducted into the effectiveness of these programs and the relation of the unique Waldorf teacher training factors to teacher outcomes.

This study will employ a sample of students and teachers from both Waldorf and non Waldorf training centres and schools and employ both quantitative and qualitative measures. In order to test the Prosocial Classroom Model, we will examine the students and teachers on emotional intelligence, empathy, educational beliefs, mindfulness, and self efficacy and their relation to burnout, pedagogical competence, student teacher relations, and classroom management and their influence on pupil social, emotional and academic outcomes.

This study hopes to highlight the relevance of social and emotional competencies for the teaching profession in addition to teacher specific variables such as subject knowledge and illustrate the need to expand current teacher training programs to include a wider range of competencies. Furthermore, this study can help contribute to the current European discourse about teacher preparation and deepen the dialogue between various teacher training programs in Europe. Such a dialogue can lead to a productive collaboration that can allow both European Waldorf and non Waldorf teacher training programs to prepare future teachers to teach in way that is both healthy and effective.

Bauer, J., Stamm, A., Virnich, K., Wissing, K., Müller, U., Wirsching, M., Schaarschmidt, U. (2006). Correlation between burnout syndrome and psychological and psychosomatic symptoms among teachers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 79, 199-204. Bos, W., Bonsen, M., Kummer, N., Lintorf, K.,& Frey, K. (2007). Dokumentation der Erhebungsinstrumente zur Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. München: Waxmann Brackett, M. A., Palomera, R., Mojsa, J., Reyes, M., & Salovey, P. (2010). Emotion regulation ability, job satisfaction, and burnout among British secondary school teachers. Psychology in the Schools, 47, 406-417. Frenzel, A. C., Goetz, T., Lüdtke, O., Pekrun, R., & Sutton, R. (2009). Emotional transmission in the classroom: Exploring the relationship between teacher and student enjoyment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 705–716. Hargreaves, A. (1998). The Emotional Practice of Teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 14, 835-854. Hermans, R., Braak, J., & Van Keer, H. (2008). Development of the Beliefs about Primary Education Scale: Distinguishing a developmental and transmissive dimension. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24, 127–139. Jennings, P., & Greenberg, M. (2009). The Prosocial Classroom: Teacher Social and Emotional Competence in Relation to Student and Classroom. Review of Educational Research, 79, 491–525. Klassen, R. M., Perry, N. E., & Frenzel, A. C. (2012). Teachers’ relatedness with students: An underemphasized aspect of teachers’ basic psychological needs. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104, 150-165. Korthagen, F. (2004). In search of the essence of a good teacher: towards a more holistic approach in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education 20, 77–97 Otto, J, Döring-Seipel, E., Grebe, M., & Lantermann, E. (2001). Entwicklung eines Fragebogens zur Erfassung der wahrgenommenen emotionalen Intelligenz. Aufmerksamkeit auf, Klarheit und Beeinflussbarkeit von Emotionen. Diagnostica, 47, 178-187. Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 9, 185-211. Sutton, R., & Wheatley, K. (2003). Teachers’ Emotions and Teaching: A review of the literature and directions for future research. Educational Psychology Review, 15, 327-358. Walach, H., Buchheld, N., Buttenmüller, V., Kleinknecht, N., Schmidt, S. (2006). Measuring mindfulness –The Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 1543-1555. Watt, H. & Richardson, P. (2007). Motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice: Development and validation of the FIT-Choice Scale. Journal of Experimental Education, 75(3), 167-202 Weber, A., Weltle, D., & Lederer P. (2002). Illness related early pensioning of high school teachers. Versicherungsmedizin, 1:54(2), 75-83.