Dataset Information

Results from a pre-post, uncontrolled pilot study of a mindfulness-based program for early elementary school teachers.

ABSTRACT: Background: Mindfulness-based programs are a novel and promising approach for supporting teachers' occupational health and well-being. Although rationales for mindfulness programs for teachers have been offered, the empirical research base evaluating approaches for educating teachers in mindfulness is still developing. This study reports the findings of a pilot study of a mindfulness-based program. This study is unique in that it is one of the only studies of the Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance (MBEB) program to focus on early elementary teachers, to be implemented by a new instructor, and to recruit teachers via extrinsic motivators.

Methods: A pre-post, uncontrolled pilot study of a 27.5-h mindfulness-based program for teachers was conducted with 21 pre-kindergarten-third-grade teachers from the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Program acceptability was assessed based on attendance and teacher reports of program benefits. Effect sizes for within-person changes (from pre- to post-program) in teachers' skills and mindsets, well-being, occupational health, and teaching practices were calculated. Teachers also suggested improvements to the program.

Results: With regard to program attendance and acceptability, teachers attended 87% of sessions, with 58% of teachers reporting a personal benefit and 58% of teachers reporting a professional benefit of the program. Effect sizes for changes in teachers' skills and mindsets ranged from small to large, |d| = 0.30 to 0.83, and ranged from small to medium for changes in teachers' well-being |d| = 0.07 to 0.48, occupational health |d| = 0.14 to 0.39, and teaching practices |d| = 0.15 to 0.48. Teachers suggested shortening the program and linking it more closely to their work in the classroom.

Conclusions: This study suggests that the MBEB program may be beneficial to early elementary teachers, even when implemented by someone other than the program developer, and when provided with extrinsic motivation to participate (more closely mapping to a larger-scale trial of the program). Teachers' suggestions regarding program length and structure are considered, along with useful avenues for future research on mindfulness-based programs for teachers.

SUBMITTER: Braun SS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7667758 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Results from a pre-post, uncontrolled pilot study of a mindfulness-based program for early elementary school teachers.

Braun Summer S SS Roeser Robert W RW Mashburn Andrew J AJ

Pilot and feasibility studies 20201116 1

<h4>Background</h4>Mindfulness-based programs are a novel and promising approach for supporting teachers' occupational health and well-being. Although rationales for mindfulness programs for teachers have been offered, the empirical research base evaluating approaches for educating teachers in mindfulness is still developing. This study reports the findings of a pilot study of a mindfulness-based program. This study is unique in that it is one of the only studies of the Mindfulness-Based Emotion ...[more]

PMID: 33292802

Similar Datasets

Project description:Objectives Stress has deleterious effects on teachers’ well-being and interactions with students. While in-person mindfulness programs have demonstrated benefits for teachers’ mental health, in-person classes are often not feasible due to teachers’ busy schedules. This study assessed four components of feasibility (implementation, demand, acceptability, and limited-efficacy testing) for an online mindfulness intervention for teachers. Method A volunteer sample of 50 primary school teachers was recruited across three urban public schools and was offered a 9-week online mindfulness program (DeStress Monday at School). The program provided weekly mindfulness practices for (1) self-care and (2) classroom use to promote teacher and student stress management. Surveys and focus group discussions assessed program feasibility. Paired t-tests were used to evaluate pre-post changes in teacher well-being. Results Most participants had no technical problems, providing general support for implementation. Support for program demand was mixed; while 85% of participants used practices at least once, some never used practices, and over half used practices only 1–3 times. Those who used practices generally rated their acceptability favorably. Qualitative analyses showed significant pre-post improvements in work-related and overall stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and sleep; those who used practices reported more benefits than those who did not. Qualitative data corroborated these findings, with teachers describing improved stress- and emotion-management following program use. Conclusions Our findings suggest mindfulness can be delivered online to teachers and may enhance mental health and wellness. Next steps include conducting more rigorous research with a control condition to better understand potential program impact. Preregistration This study is not preregistered. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-023-02142-3.

Project description:BackgroundThere is growing research support for the use of mindfulness training (MT) in schools, but almost no high-quality evidence about different training models for people wishing to teach mindfulness in this setting. Effective dissemination of MT relies on the development of scalable training routes.ObjectiveTo compare 4 training routes for school teachers wishing to deliver MT differing in intensity and potential scalability, considering teaching competency, training acceptability, and cost-effectiveness.MethodsSchools were randomized to an existing route comprising an 8-session instructor-led personal mindfulness course, combined with 4-day MT program training, or 1 of 3 more scalable, lower intensity, alternatives: an instructor-led personal mindfulness course combined with 1-day MT program training, a self-taught personal mindfulness course (delivered through a course book) combined with 4-day MT program training, and a self-taught personal mindfulness course combined with 1-day MT program training.ResultsAttrition from training was substantial across all routes. The instructor-led course was more effective than the self-taught course in increasing teachers' personal mindfulness skills. Even the most intensive (existing) training route brought only 29% of the teachers commencing training, and 56% of those completing the study protocol, to the required minimum competency threshold (an advanced beginner rating on an adapted version of the Mindfulness-based Interventions Teaching Assessment Criteria). The differences in levels of competency achieved by existing training compared with the more scalable alternatives were modest, with economic evaluation suggesting that the existing route was both more expensive and more effective than lower intensity alternatives, but with no statistically significant differences between routes.ConclusionsThis research questions the move toward abbreviating teacher training to increase scalability and suggests instead that many teachers require additional support to ensure competency from first delivery of MT in the classroom.

Project description:BackgroundFew studies have evaluated teacher- and school-level characteristics associated with implementation of recommended physical activity (PA) promoting practices. The purpose of this study is to examine associations between teachers' PA practices and: [1] teacher-level factors, including their own PA, and [2] school-level factors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study examined time spent daily in light PA (LPA) and moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) in association with 7 teacher PA practices among 288 classroom/special area teachers and teaching assistants in 20 urban, suburban and rural schools (recruited through a school wellness trial) in 4 districts. LPA and MVPA was assessed using 24-h ankle accelerometry (up to seven consecutive days). A sum score for teacher PA practices was assessed via survey (7 items; sum score range: 7-35; Cronbach's alpha = 0.73; higher scores indicate more PA promoting practices). Teacher-level factors included gender, race, self-reported height/weight, years teaching, and education. School-level factors included school type, free-and-reduced-price meal eligibility, student racial/ethnic composition, and urbanicity. Analyses included multilevel regression models, accounting for clustering within schools and adjusting for demographic covariates and school district.ResultsTeachers were 91% female, 63% elementary, 60% white, mean age 43.2 years (SD = 11.3), and 41% obese). Teachers wore accelerometers an average of 5.8 days, spent 399.6 min in LPA (SD = 85.0) per day, 24.1 min in MVPA (SD = 14.4) per day, and the mean teacher PA practices sum score was 22.4 (SD = 5.0). Every 15-min increase in MVPA was related to an increase in teacher PA practices sum score (coeff =1.07; SE = 0.28; p < 0.001). Female gender (versus males; coeff = - 1.95; SE = 0.92, p = 0.034), an obese weight status (versus non-obese; coeff = - 1.38; SE = 0.54, p = 0.010), and teaching in a middle school (versus elementary; coeff = - 3.86; SE = 0.54, p < 0.001) were associated with lower teacher PA practices scores. LPA was not associated with teacher PA promoting practices.ConclusionsTeachers with higher MVPA, but not higher LPA, and those without obesity were more likely to implement PA promoting practices that could positively impact their students' PA. Similar to prior studies, these practices were more commonly implemented in elementary schools and by male teachers. Future studies in schools should explore whether improvement of teacher health behaviors subsequently impacts student health behaviors.Trial registrationClinical Trials, NCT03432715 ; Registered on 02/2/2018.

Dataset Information

Results from a pre-post, uncontrolled pilot study of a mindfulness-based program for early elementary school teachers.

Publications

Results from a pre-post, uncontrolled pilot study of a mindfulness-based program for early elementary school teachers.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets