Mindfulness Training for Pre-Service Teachers Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

Author

Emily A. HattouniFollow

Year of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

School Psychology

Department or School/College

Psychology

Committee Chair

Jacqueline Brown

Commitee Members

Allen Szalda-Petree, Laura Dybdal

Keywords

school, social emotional, education, psychoeducation, burnout, prevention

Subject Categories

Adult and Continuing Education | Clinical Psychology | Educational Psychology | Education Policy | School Psychology

Abstract

There is a high-rate of burnout among teachers around the US often linked with the increasing stressors and demands (e.g., Iancu, Rusu, Măroiu, Păcurar, & Maricuțoiu, 2018). Additionally, Jennings and Greenberg (2009) demonstrated the importance of teachers’ social and emotional competence for promoting well-being and academic success in classrooms. Stress that is overwhelming or unaddressed can lead to teacher burnout, but there may be effective ways of promoting self-care among teachers, such as mindfulness-based practices. The current project included psychoeducation on the applications of mindfulness for teachers and repeated collections of self-report questionnaires to investigate the utility of mindfulness-training for pre-service teachers. Ecological momentary assessment was used to allow for real-time data to be collected about stress, coping techniques, and engagement with mindfulness. It was anticipated that daily reminders to practice mindfulness would increase levels of state-mindfulness and decrease stress levels. Analysis found a significant increase in participant understanding of mindfulness after 100 minutes of psychoeducation, as demonstrated by an increase in the accuracy of the definitions written by participants. Results also revealed significant positive relationships between frequency of mindfulness engagement and both the reported level of state-mindfulness and momentary stress. Implications for these results include future research, mindfulness education, and intervention programs for pre-service teachers.

Recommended Citation

Hattouni, Emily A., "Mindfulness Training for Pre-Service Teachers Using Ecological Momentary Assessment" (2019). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11488.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11488