Theroux Bronwyn M, Chandler-Mather Ned, Paynter Jessica, Dawe Sharon, Williams Kate E
School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
School of Education and Tertiary Access, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia.
BMC Psychol. 2025 May 1;13(1):460. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02689-x.
The early primary school years provide a unique opportunity for improving executive functions on a classroom-wide scale. While mindfulness, music, and movement have each demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing executive functions in early primary classrooms, no previous studies have integrated these modalities into a single program. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of a novel program that combines mindfulness with movement to music: the Mindful Movement Program (MMP).
This single-arm within-subjects study evaluated the feasibility of teachers delivering the MMP within the early primary years classroom setting. The program was integrated into the classroom curriculum and delivered across two school terms, to seven primary school classes, with a total of 133 students (mean age 6.61 years; standard deviation 0.90).
High rates of student recruitment (91%), and both student and teacher retention were obtained (98% and 100% respectively). Fidelity of implementation was moderate for core practices (68%) and video resource use (66%); and acceptability of the intervention high, despite teacher absences due to COVID-19 restrictions. Mixed-effects modelling showed that teacher-reported global executive functioning (b = -2.95, p < .001), externalising (b = -1.06, p < .001), and internalising (b = -0.52, p < .01) behaviour problems significantly reduced from baseline after receiving the intervention. A subset of students (n = 50) who were directly assessed on general motor skill and specific body coordination skills also showed significant improvements (p < .001) with medium to large effects.
This study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of a structured approach to movement and mindfulness developed by an experienced dance teacher, and delivered by teachers within the existing classroom setting. The program showed encouraging findings of improvement in a pre-post assessment. Further research is warranted to establish effectiveness in a controlled study design.
小学低年级阶段为在全班范围内改善执行功能提供了独特的机会。虽然正念、音乐和运动各自都已证明在提高小学低年级课堂的执行功能方面有效，但以前没有研究将这些方式整合到一个单一的项目中。本研究的目的是评估一个将正念与音乐运动相结合的新项目——正念运动项目（MMP）的可行性、可接受性和初步影响。
这项单组受试者内研究评估了教师在小学低年级课堂环境中实施MMP的可行性。该项目被纳入课堂课程，并在两个学期内面向7个小学班级进行授课，共有133名学生（平均年龄6.61岁；标准差0.90）。
学生招募率很高（91%），学生和教师的留存率也很高（分别为98%和100%）。核心实践（68%）和视频资源使用（66%）的实施保真度中等；尽管由于新冠疫情限制导致教师缺勤，但干预的可接受性很高。混合效应模型显示，教师报告的总体执行功能（b = -2.95，p <.001）、外化（b = -1.06，p <.001）和内化（b = -0.52，p <.01）行为问题在接受干预后较基线显著减少。对一般运动技能和特定身体协调技能进行直接评估的一部分学生（n = 50）也显示出显著改善（p <.001），效果为中等到较大。
本研究证明了由一位经验丰富的舞蹈教师开发、并由教师在现有课堂环境中实施的结构化运动和正念方法的可行性和可接受性。该项目在前后评估中显示出令人鼓舞的改善结果。有必要进行进一步研究，以在对照研究设计中确定其有效性。
