Exploring the relationship between self-regulation and school-based mindfulness practices in an adolescent sample

Abstract

An exploratory study of the self-regulatory effects of a classroom mindfulness program was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The pre-test and post-test intervention study took place over a 10-week period in a sixth-grade classroom (N = 39). This was a teacher-implemented program based on Scholastic’s MindUP program and the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition. Mindfulness education was implemented on a daily basis in the students’ Humanities class. Students learned breathing techniques, meditation, mindfulness-based movements and other activities, and basic neuroscience to help them understand and manage their emotions, learning, and behavior. Data collection included self-report questionnaires for the students about their behavioral, cognitive, and emotional self-regulation, as well as interviews with the teacher and a small subsample of students. Quantitative data were not conclusive but there is an indication that this mindfulness intervention had a positive effect on students’ self-regulatory capacities. Qualitative data show a strong positive regard for the program and indicate that students are able to make connections between the mindfulness they learned in the classroom and the rest of their lives.