Education Commons^™

Exploring The Influence Of Mindfulness On Elementary-Aged Students Through The Lens Of The Classroom Teacher: A Case Study, Angela Penna-Wilkos

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this research study is to explore schoolteachers’ perceptions and experiences regarding the implementation of mindfulness practices with school-aged elementary students. The concept of mindfulness involves three interrelated mental skills and dispositions: (a) concentrating attention intentionally on the here and now; (b) perceiving the present moment in a calm, clear, and receptive manner; and (c) experiencing each moment just as it is without bias or judgment (Kostanski & Hassed, 2008). As mental health education gains greater priority in schools, interest has increased in the utility of mindfulness practices as one of the key approaches of addressing student well-being. …

Leading Mindfully In Dynamic Times: Can A Mindfulness-Based Leadership Training And Coaching Program Increase Leadership Effectiveness?, Nina Tan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This research examined the influence of a Mindfulness-based Leadership Training and Coaching Program (MBP), in garnering three aspects of leadership effectiveness; extra employee effort, productive performance and followers’ satisfaction with leadership.

We hypothesized that mindfulness-based leadership training and coaching program can influence leaders’ frequency in adopting authentic, transformational and transactional leadership behaviors to enhance leadership effectiveness.

We tested these predictions separately on two control and intervention groups. Results suggested that the combined training and coaching mindfulness-based intervention program had predictive effects between the practice of mindful attunement of leaders’ behaviors and enhancement in leadership effectiveness, even in a short span …

A Phenomenological Study Of A Combined Mindfulness And Social-And-Emotional Learning Intervention As Delivered By A Counselor-Consultant To Early-Childhood Educators, Alfredo F. Palacios

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Mindfulness is an emerging tool that is growing in use in early childhood educational settings. This project identified a high needs area of Albuquerque New Mexico and implemented a mindfulness-based intervention with teachers in a Head Start setting. This study took place over a school year where teachers met weekly with researchers for training in mindfulness and social emotional learning. This study employed a phenomenological inquiry into the perceived experiences of teachers learning these pedagogical tools to be used in their classrooms. Implications are made for early childhood educators and professional counselors that serve in a consultation role in these …

Effects Of A Mindfulness-Based Program On Children’S Social Skills, Problem Behavior, And Emotion Regulation, Jessica Bartley Willenbrink

Theses and Dissertations

This quasi-experimental wait-list control study examined the effects of a mindfulness-based program on students in two open-enrollment public charter schools located in a mid-sized urban city. Participants (n=176) were 3rd through 6th grade students. Students were identified as 54% Hispanic/Latino, 39% African American, and 7% other (e.g., White, Asian, American Indian). Three classrooms at each school served as the treatment group, and three classrooms at each school served as the control group, for a total of 12 participating classrooms. Students and teachers reported on students’ social skills, problem behavior, emotion regulation, and mindfulness before and after the program. The mindfulness …

Breaking Burnout: How Daily Mindfulness Can Break The Cycle Of Clinician Burnout And Restore Passion Within The Pediatric Treatment Environment., Gretchen Blackmer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Caregiver burnout is a common condition that impacts clinicians, patients, and institutions, across all healthcare service lines. Caregivers who serve patients and families directly, including Child Life Specialists, have been found to hold a greater risk of burnout, due to the increased stress and potential for vicarious trauma that exists in the daily responsibilities this position demands (Moody, 2014). Clinicians just entering the Child Life profession, as well as those with only a few short years in the field, have been identified as being especially susceptible to experiencing burnout (Kemper).

Despite the common nature of burnout, complex and long-held cultural …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Mindfulness-Based Social Emotional Learning Program On Kindergarteners’ Risk For Social, Academic, And Emotional Problems, Molly Alvin

Doctoral Dissertations

This intervention study explored the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based social emotional learning program, Calmer Choice, on kindergarten students’ risk for social, academic, and emotional problems. The study used a quasi-experimental design with two measures collected as pretests and posttests for students in an intervention group and students in a wait-list control group. Kindergarten teachers completed the Social Academic Emotional Behavior Rating Scale (SAEBRS; Kilgus & von der Embse, 2014) and the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment-mini (DESSA-mini; Naglieri, LeBuffe & Shapiro, 2014) for each student at these two time points. The intervention, Calmer Choice, consisted of 16 lessons taught twice a …

Diné Epistemology: Sa’Ah Naaghái Bik’Eh Hózhóón Teachings, Vangee Nez

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Sa’ah Naaghái Bik’eh Hózhóón (SNBH) is Diné epistemology, a complex system of knowledge encompassing two paradigms: Beauty Way (Hózhóójii-female) and Protection Way (Naayée’ k’egho-male), with hózhó at its core. The study examines personal narratives of SNBH through lived experiences toward hózhó. The literature review looks at Diné worldview from the perspective of published Diné scholars on SNBH for Diné youth. This qualitative case study approach, using Indigenous epistemology and Indigenous research methodology framework, allowed for intensive descriptions and analysis of SNBH. The interviews explored participants’ lived experiences using narrative inquiry to understand SNBH. The findings …

Mindfulness And Its Effects On Self-Regulation In A Lower Elementary Classroom, Jennifer Yenter

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research was to determine the effect of a variety of mindfulness activities and exercises on self-regulation. Twenty-eight students from a lower elementary class of first, second, and third graders in a public Montessori school participated in the study. Data was collected over a period of six weeks using an on task behavior tally sheet, productivity scoring rubric, observational notes, behavior logs, self-assessments, student feedback, and an auditory following directions matrix. Results show a promising association between mindfulness and self-regulation. All students enjoyed partaking in mindfulness and reported positive associations with the intervention and showed increases …

The Effects Of A Peer-Supported Mindfulness Practice On Teacher Stress Reduction, Dana Vitolo

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research project was to measure the effects of daily mindfulness practice with peer-support on teacher stress reduction. Nine female Montessori teachers participated in study and taught at private Montessori schools in suburban or rural settings. The participating teachers practiced a short mindfulness activity daily such as the body scan, sitting meditation, yoga, or mandala coloring and wrote reflections in their daily journal for four weeks. The teachers also participated in a weekly peer support group for community building and wrote reflections in their weekly journal. The teachers participated in a pre- and post- intervention stress …

Dancing, Mindfulness, And Our Emotions: Embracing The Mind, Body, And Sole, Alisha M. Collins

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project examines dance, as an intervention and mindfulness practice that assists with managing our emotions. There is a need for dance therapy in social institutions such as, healthcare facilities, schools, and community centers. Dance therapy has the potential to reduce negative emotions, create mindfulness, improve self-expression, and promote a healthy well-being. I am proposing that dance therapy is applied as a regular practice in social institutions to develop mindfulness and promote emotional stability.

In this study, I argue that dance therapy can contribute to our well-being long term. In addition to this written thesis, a visual component of …

Using Authentic Inquiry To Unpack Emotions And Thorny Issues Within Teaching And Learning, Leah Denise Pride

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This manuscript-styled dissertation embodies the theoretical and methodological framework of authentic inquiry (Tobin, 2006). In the holistic context of this dissertation, authentic inquiry as a theoretical framework encompasses deep epistemological and ontological questions such as: What is knowledge and how is it informed by research? Who may engage in research? How does positivism compare to authentic inquiry? What are thorny issues and how do they relate to authentic inquiry? How do we research thorny issues in classrooms? What mindfulness practices may be used to research emotions when discussing thorny issues? How do we nuance “safety” in learning spaces where emotions …

The Effects Of Meditation/Mindfulness On Elementary Students In Crisis, Nicole C. Bixler

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project explores the effects that meditation and mindfulness practices have on elementary students in crisis. Changing the old methods used during the Time Away period, students will have the opportunity to utilize, explore, and take new risks while they experience the innovative opportunities to help cope with their stress and anxiety. The stressors that occur in school or in their personal life affect their performances and quality of life in school. The ultimate outcome from integrating new therapeutic methods is for student to use creative thinking to help create positive behavioral outcomes.

A New Approach To Mindfulness With Teachers, Melanie Flaxer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis explores the topic of implementing mindfulness programs with teachers in school settings. It begins by exploring the history of how mindfulness has been implemented with students as well as with teachers, revealing the problematic nature of the “mindfulness fad” that has entered into public schools across the country in the past ten years. It also analyzes more recent programs that have begun implementing mindfulness in schools in more productive and responsible ways. The paper then gives a narrative account of a non-traditional mindfulness group that offers an alternative method for training teachers in mindfulness. The group facilitator conducted …

Poetics Of The [Selves]∞: An Active Aesthetic, Alena Tunprasert-Ahrens

Dissertations

This practitioner-based research reports on the development and assessment of a transdisciplinary pedagogical model for the learning sciences. The theoretical underpinnings of Poetics of the [Selves]^∞ draw from three domains of knowledge: (1) mindfulness, (2) positive psychology, and (3) contemporary performance. The approach is designed to create positive self-transformation in participants as a result of engaging them in a sequence of activities that require different modes of reflection. The model was tested in two settings: a collaborative learning space, and a university classroom. The sample from the first workshop included individuals from the general public, and middle and high-school …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices On Classroom Climate And Perceived Teacher Stress, Erin Kathryn Hebert

LSU Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Teaching has been identified as the most stressful profession in the human service industry (Greenberg, Brown, & Abenavoli, 2016). Elevated teacher stress can affect teacher well-being and burnout, as well as, classroom climate and student outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research study was to assess whether mindfulness practices can increase positive classroom climate and decrease perceived stress in early childhood teachers. METHOD: Participating teachers were selected based on results of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983). Data were collected on the positive and negative climate objectives from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System …

Mindfulness Practices In The Elementary Classroom Setting: The Emotional, Social, And Academic Impacts On Students, Megan Paulsen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was: does teaching mindfulness in the elementary classroom setting benefit students in their emotional, social, or academic development? It depicts a teacher’s process of finding several emotional, social, and academic benefits mindfulness has on students through a literature review. The researched based benefits, along with personal and professional experiences of the teacher, guided and inspired her development of a month-long mindfulness curriculum based on four types of mindful practices found in research: mindful breathing, mindful movement, mindful listening, and mindful eating. She concludes that mindfulness can be implemented in elementary classrooms in simple …

An Investigation Into Learning And Development Associated With Embodied Mindfulness, Kristen Picard

Educational Studies Dissertations

The intention of this study was to increase understanding of how Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teachers cultivate embodied mindfulness. Recent publications reveal that embodied mindfulness is an essential competency for teaching mindfulness-based interventions. However, there is a gap in the literature related to how MBSR teachers learn or develop this competency. A qualitative phenomenological study influenced by a constructivist paradigm was designed to uncover the essence of MBSR teachers’ experiences of learning and developing embodied mindfulness. The participants were 10 MBSR teachers, defined as adults who received the designation of Qualified or Certified MBSR Teachers from the University of Massachusetts …

Anxiety And Depression In College Students And How Colleges Can Help, Sunny L. Crowder

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research is to better understand causes of anxiety and depression among college students and how colleges can better assist these students. For various reasons, social anxiety is linked to excessive drinking and binge eating/exercising. A comorbid relationship exists between anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbance has multiple causes, but this research mostly focused on how technology interferes with sleep. In addition to sleep disturbance, excessive drinking, and binge eating/exercising/anxiety and depression are linked to perfectionism, goal setting, living accommodations, parent attachment and transition, and career planning. Remedies explored for anxiety and depression treatment and prevention …

The Impact Of Social Skills Instruction With An Emphasis On Mindfulness Among Stduents With Emotional Behavior Disorders: Does Training In Social Skills And Mindfulness Reduce Suspension Rates And Increase Positive Behavior In Students With Ebd?, Tyler James Schmidt

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children labeled with Emotional Behavior Disorder (EBD), as defined by the educational system, have behavioral factors that impact their educational success in school. Research suggests that social skills instruction, mindfulness training, and positive behavior supports promoted behavioral changes. Research indicated that promoting pro-social skills and using teaching consequences result in a reduction of out-of-school suspension rates. Following a literature review, a teaching intervention was constructed and implemented for students identified with EBD in a secondary setting. The interventions included social skills instruction, mindfulness, and positive attention training. The intervention results indicated a reduction in negative behaviors and reduced suspension rates …

An Intervention Study On Mindfulness Meditation And Mindfulness, Stress, Flourishing, And Academic Achievement In A First-Year Experience Seminar, Elizabeth S. Bambacus

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the two research questions, 1) what are the relationships among the pretest latent variables mindfulness, stress, and flourishing and the manifest variables GPA and retention in first-year college students in a first-year experience seminar and 2) will there be differences in mindfulness, stress, flourishing, GPA, and retention between groups of students in a first-year experience seminar who received a brief mindfulness intervention and those who did not? To answer these questions, the author analyzed secondary data collected from 373 first-year college students at a large public research university who took Introduction to the University (UNIV 101).

The …

Relationship Between Prekindergarten To Grade 12 Teachers' Mindfulness And Self-Efficacy, Ketra Gardner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers throughout the United States show low levels of self-efficacy which not only affects their own well-being in the profession but also their students' opportunity to learn. The gap in the literature addressed by this study is the relationship between self-efficacy and mindfulness. Grounded in Shapiro's model of mindfulness and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between prekindergarten to grade 12 teachers' 5 facets of mindfulness scores and their perceived level of self-efficacy score at Regional School District (RSD, a pseudonym). The study is a nonexperiemental correlational design for which 130 prekindergarten …

The Impact Of Mindfulness On Student Success, Casey D. Nightingale

All Master's Theses

As schools are adopting the whole child approach, it is important to examine how the approach impacts academic success. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a school-based mindfulness curriculum on student reading scores and classroom engagement. Using a multiple baseline design, this study examined the rate of improvement in reading scores and academic engagement in elementary students receiving a mindfulness curriculum. The curriculum was introduced in addition to the regular curriculum in 15-minute lessons twice a week. Rate of improvement was examined utilizing curriculum-based measures, while student engagement was evaluated through classroom observation methods. This …

Measuring The Effects Of A Mindfulness Intervention On Counselors’-In-Training Dispositions, Strength Of The Therapeutic Relationship, And Client Outcomes, Therese Louise Newton

Theses and Dissertations

Using a multiple baseline single case research design, the present study sought to measure the effects of a mindfulness intervention on counselors’-in-training facilitative dispositions of: (a) empathetic understanding, (b) level of regard, (c) unconditionality of regard, and (d) congruence (as observed through weekly in-session engagement with clients), and client outcomes (as measured by the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II; [Robitschek et al., 2012] and the Outcomes Questionnaire-45.2; [Lambert et al., 1996]). In addition, the investigation examined the influence of counselors-in-training participation in a brief mindfulness intervention on clients’ perception of the strength of the therapeutic alliance (as measured by the Barrett-Lennard …

The Effect Of Mindful Practices On The Independent Learning Process Of Third-Grade Montessori Students, E. Simone Mori

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact mindfulness practices would have on the independent learning processes of third-grade students in a Montessori setting. For the purpose of the study, independent learning processes were measured using three parameters: (a) self-reports of perceived learning on-task and off-task behaviors, (b) students’ ability to effectively use mindfulness practices autonomously as a self-regulating behavior when off-task, and (c) teacher-researcher’s observations, along with teacher-participant’s and instructional assistant’s reporting, of improved autonomous learning behaviors and students’ autonomous use of mindfulness practices as a self-regulating behavior. The study occurred over a five-week period during the …