Braun Summer S, Roeser Robert W, Mashburn Andrew J
University of Virginia, 405 Emmet Street South, PO Box 400281, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
The Pennsylvania State University, 115 Health and Human Development, University Park, PA, 16801, USA.
Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2020 Nov 16;6(1):178. doi: 10.1186/s40814-020-00718-7.
Mindfulness-based programs are a novel and promising approach for supporting teachers' occupational health and well-being. Although rationales for mindfulness programs for teachers have been offered, the empirical research base evaluating approaches for educating teachers in mindfulness is still developing. This study reports the findings of a pilot study of a mindfulness-based program. This study is unique in that it is one of the only studies of the Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance (MBEB) program to focus on early elementary teachers, to be implemented by a new instructor, and to recruit teachers via extrinsic motivators.
A pre-post, uncontrolled pilot study of a 27.5-h mindfulness-based program for teachers was conducted with 21 pre-kindergarten-third-grade teachers from the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Program acceptability was assessed based on attendance and teacher reports of program benefits. Effect sizes for within-person changes (from pre- to post-program) in teachers' skills and mindsets, well-being, occupational health, and teaching practices were calculated. Teachers also suggested improvements to the program.
With regard to program attendance and acceptability, teachers attended 87% of sessions, with 58% of teachers reporting a personal benefit and 58% of teachers reporting a professional benefit of the program. Effect sizes for changes in teachers' skills and mindsets ranged from small to large, |d| = 0.30 to 0.83, and ranged from small to medium for changes in teachers' well-being |d| = 0.07 to 0.48, occupational health |d| = 0.14 to 0.39, and teaching practices |d| = 0.15 to 0.48. Teachers suggested shortening the program and linking it more closely to their work in the classroom.
This study suggests that the MBEB program may be beneficial to early elementary teachers, even when implemented by someone other than the program developer, and when provided with extrinsic motivation to participate (more closely mapping to a larger-scale trial of the program). Teachers' suggestions regarding program length and structure are considered, along with useful avenues for future research on mindfulness-based programs for teachers.
基于正念的项目是支持教师职业健康和幸福的一种新颖且有前景的方法。尽管已经提出了针对教师的正念项目的理论依据，但评估教师正念教育方法的实证研究基础仍在发展中。本研究报告了一项基于正念的项目的试点研究结果。本研究的独特之处在于，它是少数关注小学低年级教师、由新教师实施且通过外部激励因素招募教师的基于正念情绪平衡（MBEB）项目的研究之一。
对来自美国太平洋西北部的21名幼儿园至三年级教师开展了一项时长27.5小时的基于正念的教师项目的前后对照、非受控试点研究。根据出勤率和教师对项目益处的报告评估项目可接受性。计算了教师在技能和心态、幸福感、职业健康及教学实践方面个人内变化（从项目前到项目后）的效应量。教师们还对项目提出了改进建议。
在项目出勤率和可接受性方面，教师参加了87%的课程，58%的教师报告个人从中受益，58%的教师报告该项目对其职业有帮助。教师技能和心态变化的效应量从小到大都有，|d| = 0.30至0.83，教师幸福感变化的效应量为小到中等，|d| = 0.07至0.48，职业健康方面|d| = 0.14至0.39，教学实践方面|d| = 0.15至0.48。教师建议缩短项目时长，并使其与他们在课堂上的工作更紧密地联系起来。
本研究表明，MBEB项目可能对小学低年级教师有益，即使由项目开发者以外的人实施，且在有外部参与激励的情况下（更接近该项目的大规模试验）。考虑了教师关于项目时长和结构的建议，以及未来针对教师的基于正念项目研究的有用途径。
