Teaching children mindfulness : a journal article
Rome wasn’t built in a day: School Counsellors’ Perspectives of Teaching Children Mindfulness gives an authentic account of school counsellors’ journey teaching mindfulness to children for the first time.
I am very proud to finally share the efforts of many months of hard work, a couple of years in the making, and a combined team effort. Thanks to the persistence and kindness of Nicole Albrecht, our lead author, this published research can now contribute to the growing body of work in Mindfulness in Education.
Results : Read the analysis here or download the article
Mindfulness In Schools Research Paper – Sept 2014
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests mindfulness is an essential life skill. Mindfulness practices help focus attention and have the potential to enhance both teacher and student well being (Albrecht, Albrecht, & Cohen, 2012; Black, Milam, & Sussman, 2009). Techniques focus on the development of the whole person – awareness of the mind, body and emotions. Mindfulness is practiced widely around the world and is also a burgeoning area of academic interest. Research started in the early 1980s with people experiencing chronic pain and stress. By the close of 2012 there were approximately 2500 journal articles on the topic investigating its impact on a wide range of health conditions and well-being.
Due to positive research results in adult populations, mindfulness programs have been implemented in schools around the world over the last decade and researchers are conducting studies to determine how learning mindfulness impacts a school community’s well-being. The current research project focuses on understanding children’s and teachers’ experiences and perspectives of learning and teaching mindfulness for the first time in an independent school located in New Zealand. The following questions were posed:
• What is a child’s perspective of learning mindfulness practices at school?
• How do teachers make sense of introducing a mindfulness program to children?… Read more
