The Perceived Impact of Mindfulness Instruction on Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

Abstract

This study explored the self-reported effects of mindfuless instruction on pre-service elementary teachers in the context of a literacy education course. Twenty female undergraduates participated in a study that occurred over the course of a single semester in one university. Analysis of the results indicated that students were not significantly more mindful and less stressed at post-testing than at pre-testing. However, written and oral responses revealed benefits of mindfulness in terms of preferred practices as well as stress reduction during teaching. Explanations for outcomes were contextualized in terms of constraints to instruction and practice in an existing content-laden course. Changes in mindfulness instruction were discussed, along with future directions for research.