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.
URI
http://purl.galileo.usg.edu/uga_etd/whitaker_sarah_k_201308_phdhttp://hdl.handle.net/10724/29684