Defense Date

10-28-2021

Graduation Date

Fall 12-17-2021

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Counseling, Psychology, & Special Education

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

Dr. Kara E. McGoey

Committee Member

Dr. Ara J. Schmitt

Committee Member

Dr. Susan M. Rattan

Committee Member

Dr. James B. Schreiber

Keywords

Mindfulness, School-Based, Attention, Executive Functioning, Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Schools are facing increasing responsibility to foster the social-emotional development of students. One way in which schools can improve student functioning is through school-based mindfulness interventions. Using mindfulness practices, in particular, can teach students to increase their attention of surroundings and internal experiences, and awareness of their thoughts and behaviors. While the evidence-base for mindfulness interventions in schools continues to grow, there are several studies that show promising outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine how large the effect sizes for school-based mindfulness studies are in regard to increasing student attention, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. Results indicate an overall positive, small-to-moderate effect of school-based mindfulness intervention on student attention and executive functioning. Results suggest that mindfulness techniques may be a reasonable addition to any classroom. Future research should work to clearly communicate the components of school-based mindfulness interventions. Additionally, future research should evaluate the benefit of using school-based mindfulness interventions with at-risk students or students who receive special education services. Future meta-analyses would benefit from clear reporting of participant characteristics and investigation of narrow constructs relating to the behavioral and emotional functioning of students.

Language

English

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