Mindfulness in education for sustainable development to nurture socioemotional competencies: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Adhering to the basic principles of transformative learning in education for sustainable development, socioemotional competencies are fundamental for the promotion of sustainability; however, they are difficult to nurture. There is initial evidence that mindfulness practice may promote the enhancement of such competencies, but a comprehensive analysis of how mindfulness practices could be nurtured and a measurement of its effectiveness in developing this set of competencies are missing. This paper aims to fill this gap by synthesizing the findings of current research on the effectiveness of mindfulness programs for the promotion of socioemotional competencies. By performing a systematic review and a meta-analysis, this paper shows that mindfulness practices, although they have a weak effect, could be an effective method to positively influence three outcomes of socioemotional competencies: emotional regulation, empathy and social connectedness, and resilience with differential effects. Guidance is also offered to implement mindfulness practices to successfully enhance ESD.

Keywords:

• Education for sustainable development
• mindfulness
• socioemotional competencies
• emotional regulation
• review

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Prof. Raquel Redondo for her support on the section of this manuscript relating to the meta-analysis strategy.

Data availability

All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ana M. Gómez-Olmedo

Ana M. Gómez-Olmedo is a lecturer (since 2015) in the Marketing and Business Administration Department at ESIC Business & Marketing School. She teaches undergraduate courses (Corporate Social Responsibility, Digital Marketing, Introduction to Marketing). Her research focuses on the benefits of mindfulness practice on transitions to sustainability and particularly on education for sustainable development. She has also taken part in projects related to digital marketing. She is a member of the E-Sost Research Group at Universidad Pontificia Comillas as a doctoral student.

Carmen Valor

Carmen Valor, Ph.D. is a lecturer in the Marketing Department at Universidad Pontificia Comillas. She teaches Research Methods to both undergraduate and graduate students. Her research focuses on transitions to sustainability and especially on sustainable consumption. She has taken part in several competitive research projects being the main researcher in several of them. She is a founding member and coordinator of the E-Sost Research Group. Her work has been published in international conference proceedings and leading academic journals such as Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Macromarketing, Human Ecology Review or Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics.

Isabel Carrero

Isabel Carrero, Ph.D. is a lecturer in the Marketing Department at Universidad Pontificia Comillas. She teaches Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses. Her research has focused on consumer behavior: sustainability, family decision making, ethical consumption, labeling and healthy diet. She has taken part in several competitive research projects being the main researcher in four of them. She is Member & Founder of the E-Sost Research Group leading research projects on Transformative Consumer Research. Her work has been published in international conference proceedings and leading academic journals such as Psychology and Marketing, Human Ecology Review, Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics or Young Consumers.