Undergraduate Review

Project Title

Implementing Mindfulness in K-12 Schools: Exploring Educators’ Perceptions of Students’ Academic Skills, Behavior, and Well-Being

Author Information

Sara Gottfried

Abstract/Description

Research indicates that academic performance and social and emotional well-being are fundamentally interrelated (Schonert-Reichl, Oberle, Lawlor, Abbott, Thomson, Oberlander, & Diamond, 2015). Given that 13-20% of children in the United States experience social and emotional challenges, schools are required to attend to the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students (Maynard, Solis, Miller, & Brendel, 2017). However, students are often unequipped with the skills to effectively cope with stress and resort to behaviors that cause emotional, mental, and physical suffering, all of which thwart the learning process (Schonert-Reichl et al., 2015). Schools warrant interventions that support the whole student, given the increase in mental health statistics (Meiklejohn, Phillips, Freedman, Griffin, Biegel, Roach, Frank, Burke, Pinger, Soloway, Isberg, Sibinga, Grossman, & Saltzman, 2012).

Given that the stakes for student success and well-being are high, many schools have integrated mindfulness practices within classrooms. This study sought to understand the efficacy of mindfulness programs in the K-12 education setting, specifically educators’ perceptions of mindfulness on students’ academic skills, behavior, and well-being. This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with ten participants from schools in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The findings indicate that mindfulness is successful when applied both indirectly and directly, is adaptable within class structures and transitional periods, is practiced using a variety of techniques, and supports a diverse student climate. However, while there is little to no data to support the effects of mindfulness on academics, this study does suggest that mindfulness can be an effective means of supporting students’ behavior and well-being. Further research measuring the effects of mindfulness on academic skills is needed.

Note on the Author

Sara Gottfried is a senior majoring in Social Work and minoring in Health Promotion. Her research, mentored by Dr. Denise Howley (Social Work), was funded by a 2018 Adrian Tinsley Program summer research grant. Sara presented this research project at Bridgewater State University's 2018 Summer Research Symposium. Upon graduation in May 2019, Sara will pursue a Masters in Social Work.

Recommended Citation

Gottfried, Sara (2018). Implementing Mindfulness in K-12 Schools: Exploring Educators’ Perceptions of Students’ Academic Skills, Behavior, and Well-Being. Undergraduate Review, 14, 72-86.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev/vol14/iss1/14

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