Open AccessBenefits of Mindfulness Professional Development for Elementary Teachers
Author(s) -
Nancy Akhavan,
Nichole Walsh,
Janeen Goree
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of school administration research and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2470-850X
pISSN - 2470-8496
DOI - 10.32674/jsard.v6i1.2462
Subject(s) - mindfulness , intrapersonal communication , psychology , intervention (counseling) , professional development , applied psychology , meditation , exploratory research , qualitative property , medical education , mathematics education , pedagogy , clinical psychology , social psychology , medicine , interpersonal communication , computer science , sociology , philosophy , theology , machine learning , psychiatry , anthropology
Using an embedded quasi-experimental mixed-method approach, this exploratory study aimed to understand the benefits of mindfulness training for elementary school teachers and leaders in one rural school district. After the delivery of two 90-minute mindfulness professional developments with on-the-job practice of strategies over 2 weeks, quantitative statistical comparisons of the intervention and inactive control groups were made using survey results from the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale (Frank et al., 2016). Qualitative analyses used intervention participant journal entry responses along with one-on-one interviews. After analyses, the results suggest mindfulness training can benefit teachers, specifically in the use of intrapersonal mindfulness practices, reshaping daily interactions with students, and reducing stress.