A holistic approach to education. The explorative journey into the practises and beliefs of one twenty-first century school

Abstract

Holistic Education (HolEd) offers exciting prospects for the future of education, moving away from a fragmented worldview held by the forces of the market and the demands of technology, to a connected one. It aims to foster an education that takes into account the multidimensionality of human beings, while acknowledging the interconnected nature of experience. The purpose of this qualitative research, utilising an ethnographic case study, is to investigate into the field of HolEd and explore, when its principles are brought to life, how it might constitute a good education (Biesta, 2009) for the twenty-first century student. Threaded throughout this research are Gert Biesta’s theoretical perspectives, that provide a critical, global and contemporary outlook on the topic.

My research initially reveals the varied nature of HolEd in and of itself, encompassing a wide range of interpretation for its pedagogical application. A collection of theoretical sources was outlined to imagine how holistic approaches might materialise, depending on their context, within a Westernised educational scene. This empirical research then, illustrates and responds to one expression of HolEd in a twenty-first century school by illuminating the practical aspects of the school’s motto: ‘Know-thyself’. Through a Biestan perspective, this study engages in a critical conversation on the wider aims and means of education, raising questions on holistic methods when applied in an instrumental way. It concludes by recognising, that when an ongoing dialogue between holistic practises and its proponents transpires, HolEd may become a site for students to find their place with and in the world.