Promoting well-being and preventing burnout in teacher education: a pilot study of a mindfulness-based programme for pre-service teachers in Hong Kong

Abstract

The stress that negatively affects teachers has been found to influence the turnover rate in the teaching profession. Recent research has shown that mindfulness-based programmes effectively promote well-being while addressing psychological distress. In this study, the authors investigated the effects of a six-week mindfulness-based programme on pre-service teachers in Hong Kong (N = 70). The authors hypothesised that a six-week mindfulness-based programme would increase mindfulness and well-being while reducing stress and symptoms of depression. Both intervention and control groups were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. A univariate analysis revealed a significant increase in mindfulness and well-being. A regression analysis indicated that mindfulness was a significant predictor of well-being, stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Qualitative data reflected that the mindfulness programme was beneficial to and feasible for pre-service teachers. Such a programme could be implemented in teaching education to promote well-being and stress management while preventing burnout among teaching professionals.

Keywords:

• mindfulness
• well-being
• stress
• anxiety
• depressive symptom

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Internal Research Grant from the Hong Kong Institute of Education. We warmly acknowledge Clive Erricker, Helen Ma and Mark J. Williams for their invaluable and encouraging advice in the early stages of the project. We are grateful to the critical and positive comments from the two anonymous reviewers. We thank Steve Pickering, Ruth Wills and W. K. Hou who proofread the manuscript. We thank Anita Wong who offered the mindfulness classes, Aosi Mak and Queenie Lai who assisted in data collection and administrative work. We are grateful to PVHK and Ricky Woo for their sponsorship of the book tokens for students. Finally, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to the two schools, especially all the student participants, and the teachers Ms N. L. Lee and Ms Dionne Lo who supported the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.