Education Commons^™

Examining Teachers’ Experiences With Mindfulness Practices To Promote Positive Relationships And Student Engagement In The Classroom, Hiram Ortega

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years mindfulness practices in the classroom have become increasingly relevant to bring awareness to the present moment, the here-and-now. The literature indicates that mindfulness reduces stress/anxiety in the classroom, and promotes self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, self-compassion, and empathy that contributes to positive classroom behavior, communication, and effective instructional practices. The purpose of this qualitative research is to analyze teachers’ experiences with mindfulness practices in promoting positive relationships and student engagement in the classroom. A group of teachers from an at-risk school district in the southwestern region of the United States were interviewed. The teachers answered 10 open-ended questions about …

Examining The Workplace Well-Being Of Elementary School Teachers Whose Students Participated In A Social Emotional Learning Program, Yorri Berry

Theses and Dissertations

In the past few decades, public school teachers have faced many challenges, including differentiated instruction to diverse students, increased classroom management, and standardized testing. The accumulation of these challenges has created high teacher attrition rates leading to teaching shortages. Understanding the barriers and useful supports to address the challenges teachers face can help lower attrition rates and enhance teaching quality. This study examines the workplace well-being of elementary school teachers whose students participated in a social and emotional learning program. The study included 16 elementary school teachers in schools with a large population of students who are particularly vulnerable to …

Exploring Misinformation Campaigns And How To Defend Against Them, Michelle S. Kuralt

Theses and Dissertations

Misinformation campaigns can have very real and lasting effects. Misinformation has been known to impact elections, create vaccine hesitancy, and increase polarization within societies. This paper reviewed existing literature regarding misinformation research, collected information from research participants to discern factors which may contribute to an increased susceptibility to misinformation, and examined Rule Based Training and a training program which utilized both rules and mindfulness to ascertain if these training programs might be effective in reducing participant susceptibility to misinformation.

Exploring Mindfulness As A Social And Emotional Learning [Sel] Intervention: An Action Research Case Study, Matthew T. Griffith

Theses and Dissertations

Children appear to be faced with more stressors today than ever before, and schools are tasked with providing social and emotional support and instruction to help their students navigate life’s ups and downs. The purpose of this mixed methods action research case study was to explore the effectiveness of mindfulness-based practices as a social and emotional learning (SEL) intervention for a small group of three second grade students at a rural elementary school. These students were identified by their teacher as having weaknesses in the areas of self-control, emotional regulation, and sustained attention that required more targeted intervention than the …

Exploring The Impact Of Social Emotional Learning To Support Motivation And Self-Efficacy In Text-Dependent Analysis Writing, Elizabeth N. Crocker

Theses and Dissertations

Social emotional learning has been the subject of much attention in K–12 education in recent years. In addition to self-regulation strategies such as concept mapping, using graphic organizers, and goal setting, social emotional learning includes mindfulness practices such as visualization and mindful breathing. This action research dissertation in practice explored the experiences of three academically gifted seventh-grade students in a multiple case study design to better understand how using social emotional learning strategies affected their motivation and self-efficacy for text-dependent analysis writing.

A Mixed-Method Study Of The Effects Of A Self-Guided Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Audio Intervention On Teacher Stress In A Secondary School, Dylan Muzny

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers have especially high levels of stress and this stress can have severe consequences for their health, their students and their district. This study used an action research, explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach to examine the effectiveness of a self-guided audio-based Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction intervention on reducing teacher stress. Teachers self-selected into experimental (n = 14) and control groups (n = 24), and took State Trait Anxiety Index pretest and posttest surveys. The experimental group also completed participation logs and were interviewed about their experience. The MBSR intervention was found to have a statistically significant reduction in teachers for both …

What Did You Say? Investigating The Relationship Of Self-Perceived Communication Competence And Mindfulness In Communication On Levels Of Organizational Trust In A Postsecondary Academic Library, Rebecca Jo Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Successful educational systems are established, maintained, and cultivated on a foundation of trust. Effective communication among colleagues is widely accepted as a characteristic of groups who establish and maintain high levels of trust. Despite the importance of the relationships between interpersonal communication skills and levels of organizational trust in postsecondary educational settings, there is very little published on this topic. Further, no published research was located that examined relationships between measures of mindfulness in communication with levels of organizational trust in postsecondary educational settings. This study examined relationships between measures of competent and mindful communication with levels of organizational trust …

The Influence Of Mindfulness On Teacher-Student Relationships, Classroom Climate, And School Culture: Secondary Educators’ Perspectives, Margaret Lane Dunne

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that the relationships students share with teachers have the power to enhance or hinder students’ learning and overall well-being. Thus, there is a critical need for educational leaders to implement systems that develop teachers’ abilities to connect with and positively support students. The focus of this phenomenological study was to explore a purposefully selected group of participants’ perceptions of how their mindfulness practices influence their work as secondary educators. Participants of the study included secondary educators from varied academic departments, varied years of teaching experience, and varied years engaged in mindfulness practice. Participants were drawn from two suburban, …

The Effects Of Mindfulness On The Engagement And Social Interactions Of High School Students With Learning Disabilities, Naveen Khan

Theses and Dissertations

This study followed a single subject ABABAB design to examine the effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) on the on-task engagement and the positive social interactions of high school students with disabilities. The seven students participating in this study attend a special services school and underwent the study in a basic skills math class. Baseline data was collected in week zero prior to the start of the study via a system of monitoring and checking for desired behavior; how often the students were on task, and how often they showed positive social behaviors. This baseline data was then used to examine …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices On The Dispositions Of Eight Third-Grade Elementary Students At An Elementary School In The Southeast Region Of The United States, Jakob Lauffer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact mindfulness sessions had on the dispositions of eight third-grade students. In the Spring of 2019, mindfulness practices were presented to third-graders in their regular classroom setting every Monday and Thursday over the six-week qualitative action research study. During this time, the teacher-researcher administered 15-minute mindful lessons that aimed to help increase coping strategies in the student population. The instruments used for data collection in this qualitative action research study were: a pre/post-intervention questionnaire, weekly exit slips utilizing multiple choice and open-ended questions, field notes, and digital video recordings. Students utilized …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Impact Of Mindfulness Exercises On The Verbal Reactive Behaviors Of Students Identified With Significant Behavioral And Emotional Difficulties, Nicole Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of mindfulness exercises such as counting and breathing on the reactive verbal behaviors of students who are identified as having significant behavioral and emotional difficulties. The six participants were fifth and seventh grade students who were instructed in the self-contained classroom for emotional support a minimum of three class periods daily. Mindfulness exercises were practiced twice daily for a period of three to five minutes for twenty days. Data was collected on each participant prior to, during and after the intervention implementation. The independent variable was the mindfulness exercises employed. …

Yoga And Mindfulness In The Inclusion Classroom, Maria Petruzzelli

Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the effectiveness of implementing mindfulness and yoga techniques in two sections of fourth grade inclusion language arts classes. More specifically, this paper examines the effectiveness of yoga and mindfulness techniques on the frequency of off-task behaviors and academic achievement. It was hypothesized that off-task behaviors would occur less frequently and that academic performance in writing would improve after a yoga and mindfulness intervention was implemented.

Using a pre-post no-control design, thirty-six students, eighteen per class, from a public elementary school in Southern New Jersey participated in this investigation. Baseline and post implementation data were collected using On-Demand …

The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Stress Among College Students, Elizabeth Marie Vonderheyde

Theses and Dissertations

College students who have high levels of stress have reported difficulties with functioning on a daily basis, whether it be high anxiety due to classes or an increase in unhealthy habits like smoking or overeating. Studies have shown that those who practice mindfulness every day learn how to live with accepting the stresses in their lives (Siegel & Allison, 2016). This study explored the relationship between mindfulness and stress in college students from a medium size public university in the northeast. Two self-report measures were used to collect data though an online survey. Data were subjected to descriptive and inferential …

The Gratitude Questionnaire And Mindful Attention Awareness Scale For Use With Latina/O College Students: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Dion B. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Interventions based on positive psychology constructs have become increasingly popular over the past two decades, necessitating validation of instruments for use with underrepresented populations (Pawelski, 2016; Vela, Lerma, & Ikonomopoulos, 2016). This study reports an evaluation of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003) and the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6; McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002) for use with Latina/o college students. Sample sizes used in this study are N = 207 (99 women and 104 men; 4 did not identify) for the MAAS and N = 127 (84 women and 38 men; 5 did not identify) for the …