Mindfulness-based teacher training: Everyday Mindfulness for Schools (EMS) – A pilot study using mixed method approach

Abstract: Statistics have shown over time that teaching is one of the most stressful occupations.Recently, mindfulness training (MT) has emerged as a useful and tested means to support educators in terms of their emotional coping skills, mental health status, stress reduction and working motivation. This pilot study seeks to evaluate the effect of “Everyday Mindfulness for schools”(EMS), a mindfulness training (MT) curriculum for teacher in terms of mindfulness, professional quality of life, occupational burnout and work related stress. The training includes traditional mindfulness practices and practical in-the-moment strategies that streamline into everyday life within and beyond the classroom, with the aim to help teachers gain insight into their own habitual thoughts and behavioral patterns and the ways in which mindfulness practices can help them in their personal and professional lives. Altogether Eighty teachers from five secondary schools in Philadelphia completed EMS curriculum. Pre and post-test scales were administered - including Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire, Professional quality of life, Maslach Burnout Inventory and Teacher stress inventory. Results shows that participants have increased ability to attend to their internal and external experiences, accept their thoughts and experiences non-judgmentally, verbally express their inner experiences and allow thoughts to come and go without reaction. Participants also reported lower levels of work-related stress, fewer time management concerns and less fatigue. Future full-scale study on EMS is suggested to be conducted in a controlled condition to better assess if the change in participants results from the effect of the curriculum.Short Description: The poster will illustrate the study's research methodology, results and discussion in detail with the help of graphics - how EMS curriculum has helped educators in their stress management and well-being. Future full-scale study's proposal will also be shortly discussed.Name of Sponsoring Organization(s): N/A