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Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Educators: Effects of a School-Based Cluster Randomized Controlled Study

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Abstract

Objectives

The present study investigates the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention designed to improve educator wellbeing and implemented concurrently in multiple school sites.

Methods

Using a cluster (school) randomized controlled design, 185 educators working in 20 Australian schools were randomized to an intervention group (10 schools, number = 85, mean age = 42.34 years) or a control group (10 schools, number = 100, mean age = 43.7 years). Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine effects of intervention on wellbeing and teaching-related outcomes and students’ sense of connectedness to teachers measured post intervention after controlling for the baseline.

Results

The intervention predicted lower levels of perceived stress (β = − 0.196, p < 0.01, 95% CI [− 4.00, − 0.92]) and sleep difficulty (β = − 0.175, p < 0.05, 95% CI [− 7.54, − 0.46]) and higher levels of mindfulness (β = 0.252, p < 0.001, 95% CI [2.60, 6.12]), self-compassion (β = 0.207, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.14, 0.43]) and cognitive reappraisal in emotion regulation (β = 0.152, p < 0.05, 95% CI [0.19, 4.03]) at immediate post-intervention, with medium to large effect sizes, after controlling for effects of corresponding variables at baseline. These effects largely remained significant at 6-week post-intervention. Improved educator wellbeing did not accompany improvements in teaching but students’ sense of connectedness to teachers.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may contribute to the overall educator wellbeing and this may increase students’ sense of connectedness to teachers without themselves undergoing any intervention.

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Acknowledgements

Our sincere gratitude goes to the educators and their students who participated in this project and the facilitators of Mind with Heart who delivered a mindfulness-based intervention. We also thank the staff of Metropolitan Region, Organisational Health; Department of Education, Queensland; and Business Engagement and Development, Department of Education, NSW, for their valuable support. The summary version of findings of this study was presented to the research participants, the above-named agencies and Teachers Health Foundation.

Funding

This project was supported by a medical research grant awarded by Teachers Health Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Level 4, 229 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane CBD, QLD, 4000, Australia

    Yoon-Suk Hwang, Harvey Goldstein, Jae-Eun Noh & Kirstine Hand

  2. School of Education, University of Bristol, 35 Berkeley Square, Bristol, BS8 1JA, UK

    Harvey Goldstein

  3. School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Oleg N. Medvedev

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA

    Nirbhay N. Singh

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  1. Yoon-Suk Hwang
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  2. Harvey Goldstein
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  4. Nirbhay N. Singh
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  5. Jae-Eun Noh
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Correspondence to Yoon-Suk Hwang.

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Hwang, YS., Goldstein, H., Medvedev, O.N. et al. Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Educators: Effects of a School-Based Cluster Randomized Controlled Study. Mindfulness 10, 1417–1436 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01147-1

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