What do teachers need for effective implementation of School-Based Mindfulness Training?

The researchers in this study theorized that in order for teachers to be able to teach mindfulness to students, they must first have personal experience learning mindfulness and a commitment to mindfulness practices of their own. Mindfulness-based stress reduction programs have been found to provide positive outcomes for students when implemented in school settings. Studies have shown that students can become more focused and have more capacity for emotional regulation when using mindfulness practices. Little research however, has examined what teachers need in the training phase to be effective instructors of a mindfulness curriculum.

The focus of a study by Braun, S, et. Al. (Teachers’ stress and training in a school-based mindfulness program: Implementation results from a cluster randomized controlled trial, 2024) was to determine if the quality of implementing a mindfulness program was influenced by teacher-level characteristics. The teacher characteristics that would be compared to implementation quality were teachers’ level of stress, trust in their colleagues and principal, and expectations for the program. 
 
81 teachers from 31 schools in England participated in one of four models of training  that included variations in self-taught mindfulness training versus in-person training. The goals of the phase one training were to 1) develop teachers mindfulness skills and knowledge and 2) improve teachers’ occupational health and well-being. Phase two focused on curriculum implementation varying from a one-day or a four-day teacher training that included experience leading mindfulness practices and inquiry, and periods of personal, teacher-focused mindfulness practice. Additionally, the four-day session provided time for teachers to meet in groups that included opportunities to discuss implementation strategies in their school.

Teachers were observed during the implementation phase of the mindfulness curriculum by a team of trained raters to determine quality of the implementation.  At the conclusion, teachers were asked to self-rate their feeling of competence teaching mindfulness and how confident they were in teaching the mindfulness curriculum in the future. 
 
While each of the groups showed growth in self-compassion and well-being, the teachers who reported higher levels of stress and participated in the instructor-led sessions demonstrated greater qualities of implementation. In contrast, teachers who reported high stress but did not receive instructor-led mindfulness training, fell below the desired competency rating.
 
Teachers reporting higher levels of trust in their principal were observed by the raters to implement the school-based program with greater quality. Trust in the principal could be interpreted as showing interest and encouragement toward teachers or the principal creating a climate where teachers felt safe and supported. Trust in colleagues did not appear to effect implementation quality. Teachers who had positive expectations about the program from the beginning were more likely to show effective implementation of the program.
 
Implications from this study suggest that as a mindfulness program is designed for teachers in a particular school, attention should be given to their specific needs. Determining teacher factors that might influence teachers’ experience in the training such as types and levels of stress is important. The more school-based mindfulness programs can be tailored to pique the interest of teachers and meet their needs, the more likely quality implementation of mindfulness in classrooms will occur.
 
Braun, S., Greenburg, M., Roeser, R., Taylor, L., Montero-Martin, J., Crane, C., Williams, J., Sonley, A., Ford, T., The MYRIAD Team, Kuyken, W. (June 2024).    Teachers’ stress and training in a school-based mindfulness program: Implementation results from a cluster randomized controlled trial. Journal of School Psychology, Vol. 104, 101288.