Title: Mindfulness and Connection Practice Training Improves Classroom Teaching Behaviors
Legend: a. Group x time interaction on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) Instructional supports domain; b. Group x time interaction on CLASS Emotional supports domain; c. Group x time interaction on CLASS Classroom organization domain. Error bars = SEM. d = Cohen’s d effect size. *** p < .001, ** p < .01, * p < .05; d. Correlation between intervention group daily reported meditation (minutes) over the intervention period and 6-month follow-up improvements on CLASS Instruction supports; e. Correlation between intervention group daily reported meditation (minutes) over the intervention period and 6-month follow-up improvements on CLASS Emotional supports; f. Correlation between intervention group daily reported meditation (minutes) over the intervention period and 6-month follow-up improvements on CLASS Classroom organization; r = Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Black line = slope of observed data. Blue line = slope of multiply imputed data. Size of circle reflects likelihood of imputed value, with large circles more commonly imputed. *** p < .001, ** p < .01, * p < .05.
Citation: Hirshberg, M. J., Flook, L., Enright, R. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2020). Integrating mindfulness and connection practices into preservice teacher education improves classroom practices. Learning and Instruction, 66, 101298.
Abstract: Teachers vary in their ability to enact effective teaching practices. We randomly assigned 88 early education preservice teachers to standard teacher education or teacher education plus a 9-week mindfulness-based intervention. Using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) as our primary outcome, we assessed effective teaching practices at baseline and at a 6-month follow-up that occurred during full-time student teaching. Mindfulness, negative affect, and well-being were assessed at baseline, post-test, and follow-up. At follow-up, we observed significant GROUP × time interactions on all major CLASS domains: Instructional supports, Emotional supports, and Classroom organization favoring the intervention group (Cohen’s d’s 0.53–0.65). Daily mindfulness practice was significantly associated with 2 intervention group improvements on Instructional supports (r = .39) and Classroom organization (r = .38). No group differences were observed on negative affect or well-being. Implications for teacher education are discussed.
About the Lab: Research in Davidson’s laboratory is focused on the neural bases of disordered and healthy emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing, including meditation and related contemplative practices. His studies have included persons of all ages, from birth though old age, and have also included individuals with disorders of emotion, such as mood and anxiety disorders and autism, as well as expert meditation practitioners with tens of thousands of hours of experience. His research uses a wide range of methods, including different varieties of MRI, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography, and modern genetic and epigenetic methods.