Teachers' perceptions of mindfulness-based practices in elementary schools

Thesis (M.A., Child Development (Applied Settings)--California State University, Sacramento, 2014.This study explored elementary school teachers??? perceptions and experiences regarding implementation of mindfulness practices in their classroom. 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). Currently, there is increasing interest in the utility of mindfulness practices for children and adolescents (Zelazo & Lyon, 2012), and school mindfulness programs are increasing in California as well as other areas of the country. Emerging evidence suggests that these programs are beneficial for increasing children and adolescents??? attention, resilience, self-regulation and social-emotional skills (Napoli, Krech, & Holley, 2005). \ud Given the rising presence of mindfulness practices in elementary schools, it is important to learn about teachers??? experiences with these programs. Therefore, in this study, semi- structured interviews were conducted with eight elementary school teachers \ud iv\ud \ud in the Bay Area of Northern California. Interview questions focused on the following areas: (a) teachers??? introduction to and training in the mindfulness program, (b) their experiences and beliefs about implementing mindfulness practices in their classrooms and adapting them to their students??? grade level and (c) their perceptions of the benefits of mindfulness practices for their students and themselves.\ud Qualitative analyses of the eight interview transcripts found that the teachers emphasized the importance of the ???whole-kids??? approach to mindfulness, in which mindfulness is encouraged in every aspect of the students??? day and across all academic subjects. However, they all mentioned time constraints as a challenge to achieving this whole-kids approach. The teachers also mentioned implementation challenges related to the age level of the students, with teachers of younger students (kindergarten through second grade) reporting different challenges than teachers of older students (third and fourth grades). Despite these challenges, the teachers believed that their school???s mindfulness program was beneficial in increasing their students??? attention skills, self-regulation skills and social-emotional competence. They also believed that the program increased their enthusiasm for teaching and encouraged unity and collaboration among the teaching staff. Overall, the teachers had positive attitudes and perceptions regarding their school???s mindfulness program.Child Development (Applied Settings