Source: RESEARCH ARTICLE
APA
Citation:
Hwang,
Y-S., Bartlett, B., Greben, M., & Hand, K. (2017). A systematic review of
mindfulness interventions for in-service teachers: A tool to enhance teacher
wellbeing and performance. Teaching and
Teacher Education, 64, 26-42.
Author
bio:
Yoo-Suk Hwang, Brendan Bartlett, & Kirstine Hand –
Australian Catholic University, Australia
Melissa Greben – Psychology [practice], Australia
Notes:
·
Analysis of results revealed that 26
o
Relatively few mindfulness-based
intervention studies have been conducted
o
Interventions were provided primarily to
enhance teacher wellbeing and teacher performance
o
Different definitions of mindfulness and
components of practice were incorporated into descriptions of MBI
o
Intervention fidelity was rarely reported
o
Researchers seldom used both direct and
indirect measures of effects
·
[this] review presents a collective account of empirical studies
where MBIs were intended to make a difference for in-service teachers in either
or both their personal and professional lives
o
In-service –
when teachers receive training to collaborate with colleagues, enhance skills,
learn and prepare for changes in state requirements or curricula, discuss grade-level/classroom
management and logistics, and learn new systems
·
Intervention PARTICIPANTS
o
652 educators participated in MBI (261
secondary, 128 primary, 27 specialists, 8 para, 6 preschool); mean age of 40.5
years
·
All
studies reported positive effects from MBI for in-service
teachers and these effects were demonstrated through the use of subjective 1st
person measures (self-report) and objective 3rd person measures
(classroom observation)
·
This review indicates mindfulness meditation as effective in addressing threats to teacher
wellbeing, [improvements] including 35
o
Reduction in self-perceived stress and
burnout
o
Physiological symptoms of stress measured
by cortisol levels
o
Sleep quality
o
Depression
o
Anxiety
o
Overall psychological distress
o
Mindfulness and self-compassion
§ That
can be conducive to enhancing resilience in teachers 35
o
Teacher performance improvements included
increases in 35
§ Teachers’
classroom organization
§ Sense
of efficacy
§ Scores
in computerized emotional tasks assessing psychological and physiological
reactivity
§ Forgiveness
§ Use
of positive affect words
·
Teachers participating … reported feeling
stressed and overwhelmed in their teaching role. Several sources that create
threats to teacher wellbeing were identified:
o
bullying
behaviors of students, parents and school members
o
challenging situations involving students
with complex learning needs
o
feeling unsupported and unappreciated
o
self-doubt 38
·
Mindfulness also was successfully applied
to address conflict at school. It
was used by a teacher to help students who were involved in conflict situations
to ground their awareness through breathing, relaxing, and focusing on
surroundings before talking about the conflict; teachers also used it as a non-reactivity practice for calming
down before taking care of a situation; another teacher’s smiling, nodding,
listening, and sensing the body were useful exercises in creating genuine care for troublesome students in a conflict
situation 38
·
Teachers’ relationship with their physical
and mental experience changed through mindfulness practice; increases in their
awareness of body sensations, thoughts and emotions
o
The noticed links between thinking and feeling, and body and mind
o
They learned what characterized their
experience when they regularly practiced mindfulness and when they forgot to
practice 39
·
Increased sensitivity to noticing emotions
and thought enabled some teachers to examine
their perceptions and perspectives before reacting or to separate
themselves from their emotions and thoughts, setting them aside and creating
space between reactions 39
·
Mindfulness practice was found to be
useful for teachers not only to see their choice of actions in the midst of
psychologically and physically challenging work situations, but also to be relaxed, centered, and calm 39
·
Mindfulness practice was reported as
influential in enhancing teaching performance and teaching activities
o
Teachers incorporated mindfulness
practices into their teaching – motivated by their increased sensitivity to
their students’ tendency to tense up and their need to relax 39
§ Mindfulness
activities were adjusted according to student age and learning readiness and were
found to be effective for creating
calmer and more focused classroom environments.
o
Practicing mindfulness also helped teachers in implementing lesson
planning to engage students in learning
§ Teachers
noticed that their teaching had become
more focused on the concepts and processes of student learning rather than
as previously on content and outcomes of student behavior management 39
o
Teachers’ wellbeing and performance are
two outcomes of MBIs that are socially valid and highly desirable 41
§ According
to the four studies that examined the follow-up effects, these outcomes are
sustainable. However, such positive and lasting results cannot be expected
without ongoing rehearsal of skills and knowledge acquired from an MBI 41
o
The indirect effects on students who are
taught by teachers trained in mindfulness are another strength in the evidence
base; children’s behaviors and amenability improved, and their teachers
responded positively with better wellbeing and teaching performances 41
Effects of MBIs
on teachers’ wellbeing and performance demonstrate positive relations with
participation in mindfulness practice. Those who practice mindfulness are
better for it. 41
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