Developing self-awareness using mindfulness meditation with preservice teachers: reflections on practice

ABSTRACT

Mindfulness offers a pathway for preservice teachers to develop self-awareness, which is an essential part of personal and professional growth. However, supporting teacher self-awareness is rarely given much attention in teacher education programs. The authors studied the use of mindfulness meditation in an early childhood college course with early childhood preservice teachers. This article reports the main findings that emerged from the students’ journals regarding the mindfulness meditation. Reflecting on the findings, this article suggests that educators need to provide meaningful learning experiences and activities, which could help their students develop the personal qualities necessary to teach with high self-confidence.     

Sitting Meditation and Mindfulness Effects on Overall Anxiety and Test Anxiety Among College Students

Research shows that mindfulness interventions for test anxiety in a college student population are beneficial (Lothes, Matney, & Naseer, 2022). This study assessed the effects of online mindfulness practices over a 5-week period on anxiety and test anxiety in college students. Participants included 20 students that were randomly assigned to either a sitting meditation or a wait list control (WLC). A weekly schedule of mindfulness practices was given to participants to complete on their own for 5 weeks. The WLC did not do any mindfulness for the first 5 weeks. Participants in the both conditions showed significant within-group reductions in test anxiety, overall anxiety, and DASS scores during their mindfulness interventions. Both groups also showed significant increases in FFMQ scores. Mindfulness may play a role in the reduction of anxiety and test anxiety. Further research is needed to assess how mindfulness may affect anxiety and test anxiety in college students.     

A Technical College Grow-Your-Own Leadership Program

ABSTRACT

The American Association of Community Colleges has determined over 40% of the population attending a post-secondary institution is enrolled in a two-year community college. The majority of this student population could be described as nontraditional, including first-generation students, underrepresented populations, and single parents working full or part-time jobs while attending classes. This student population is more likely to experience stress and anxiety, increasing their need for mental health services. Despite this demonstrated need, there has been little research conducted on two-year community college campuses relating to mental health services. The purpose of this article is to discuss the need for research on mental health needs and services at two-year community colleges.     

The Effectiveness of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention for College Freshmen Who Have Aged out of Foster Care

This study investigated the effects of a brief meditation intervention on perceived stress, mindfulness, and sleep quality for college freshmen who have aged out of foster care. Thirty-six youth who had aged out of foster care and enrolled at a large midwestern 4-year university (n?=?16 experimental group, n?=?20 control group) participated in a study in which they were assessed three times on the dependent variables. Students also participated in a focus group after the intervention ended. Four sessions of the brief mindfulness intervention resulted in significant short-term reductions in stress levels and increases in sleep quality. Finding effective personal interventions to increase chances for college success for students with histories in foster care can also offer potential insight toward the development of educational models and resources for other vulnerable college student populations.     

Mindfulness meditation for future early childhood teachers in Japan

To prevent future burnout and turnover among early childhood education students, mindfulness training may hold promise as a measure. A lab-based pilot and classroom-based feasibility study was designed to investigate an effective way to introduce mindfulness meditation. Results suggested that two types of audio-guided mindfulness meditation, a sitting meditation and a compassion meditation reduced stress level, and that the compassion meditation was perceived as more comfortable than the sitting meditation. As a tentative conclusion, the compassion meditation may be introduced first before the sitting meditation. Additional studies should examine the effects of longer-term meditation practice on teaching career development.     

Integrating Mindfulness Meditation Within a University Counseling Center Setting

Abstract

This paper documents the development of a mindfulness meditation component within a University Counseling Center setting. The specific focus is upon the inclusion of meditation as it pertains to both organizational structure and psychotherapy training. The integration of a meditation practice into any organization is a slow process that poses complex questions. We argue that the benefits provide a counterpoint to the complexities inherent when incorporating such training into an organization's structure and a psychology internship program.     

On Reading Dante: The Swinging Bridge

Abstract

Mindfulness meditation involves focusing one's attention on the present moment in a non-judgmental way. Several recently published investigations have demonstrated that a brief session of mindfulness meditation, practiced before a higher-education course lecture, can improve performance on a quiz over lecture content given immediately following the lecture. It is less clear how mindfulness meditation, practiced before multiple course lectures, impacts performance on quizzes over time as well as on a cumulative exam over all lecture contents. The present experiment compared a mindfulness meditation group to an active control group; each practiced 6 min of mindfulness or relaxation prior to seven course lectures. Following each lecture, a quiz was given over lecture contents to measure short-term academic achievement. A cumulative exam was later given over all lecture content to measure long-term academic achievement. In contrast to prior published investigations, there were no effects of mindfulness meditation on academic achievement. Given these promising yet inconsistent effects, future work should explore the moderators (i.e., individual differences; duration, frequency, and style of meditation practice) of mindfulness meditation's salutary benefits.     

Effects of a Brief Mindfulness Based Group Intervention On College Students

Increases in the number of college students seeking mental health services require counseling centers to explore innovative strategies to provide effective and efficient treatments. Group interventions offer an alternative to traditional individual counseling, allowing centers to serve more students with fewer clinical staff (Burlingame et al., 2016). Of current group modalities, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been growing in popularity as an effective approach for addressing college students’ increasingly complex needs. This study describes the evaluation of a three-session mindfulness-based intervention on students’ mindfulness, symptoms, and stress. Compared to a comparison group of 109 students not seeking counseling center services, 78 students who received the intervention reported increased mindfulness, and decreased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress at the end of the group. Furthermore, improvements in mindfulness mediated intervention effects on symptoms of depression and anxiety. These gains were generally maintained 3 weeks later. These findings support the benefits of brief group interventions for college students. Suggestions for modifications to the intervention and for future research are discussed.     

Chapter 4.

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concerns in the United States and they tend to be among the most frequently reported in college mental health. While efficacious research for the psychotherapy treatment of specific anxiety disorders (e.g., social phobia, panic disorder, etc.) exists, the picture is more complex in clinical practice especially with students who are treated as a whole person, usually involving multiple co-existing disorders as well as normal developmental challenges of adjusting to college. This chapter reviews the evidenced-based research for anxiety disorders in both the general population and the college student population, as well as evidence for therapist/relationship factors. It examines the numerous challenges for conducting effectiveness studies in college mental health, suggestions for working with chronically anxious college students, and future directions for research and practice in this area.     

Mindfulness Interventions for College Students with ADHD: A Multiple Single Case Research Design

A multiple single case research design (SCRD) was used to examine two mindfulness interventions (MBSR and Vipassana meditation). Impacted symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), psychological distress, mindfulness, and treatment satisfaction in college students were examined via single subject and group analyses. Results indicated that 57% of the seven-person sample evidenced decreases in ADHD symptoms, 72% decreased in distress, 72% increased on the trait measure of mindfulness, and treatment satisfaction was high. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.     

Grounding Turbulent Minds: The Challenges of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for College Students With ADHD and How to Overcome Them

College can be difficult for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Inattention and impulsivity are not conducive to academic success. Individuals with ADHD often experience difficulties with time management, organization, social adjustment, and psychological distress. One possible treatment approach for individuals with ADHD is mindfulness-based interventions, which lead to symptom reductions and increases in mindfulness skills. However, there are challenges in conducting such treatments on college campuses. This article outlines some of those challenges and highlights ways to overcome them using intervention research, more specifically clinical behavior analysis. The qualitative experience of conducting two mindfulness meditation interventions for college students with ADHD is discussed, and recommendations for conducting similar campus-based interventions are made.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of a mindfulness coloring activity for test anxiety in children

The authors investigated the effectiveness of a mindfulness art activity compared with a free draw/coloring activity on test anxiety in children. The sample consisted of 152 students (50% female; M_age = 10.38 years, SD = 0.88 years) randomly assigned to a mindful (n = 76) or free (n = 76) group. Participants completed a standardized measure of anxiety and state mindfulness before and after the coloring activity, immediately before a spelling test, as well as a measure of dispositional mindfulness. Results revealed an overall significant decrease in test anxiety and an overall significant increase in state mindfulness following the interventions. Furthermore, although a significant negative correlation was found between dispositional mindfulness and change in state mindfulness pre- and post-coloring intervention, a significant positive correlation was found between dispositional mindfulness and pre-intervention state mindfulness, suggesting a possible ceiling effect. Explanations for these findings and implications for school personnel and future research are discussed.     

Characterizing the Mathematics Anxiety Literature Using Confidence Intervals as a Literature Review Mechanism

ABSTRACT

The authors report the contextualization of effect sizes within mathematics anxiety research, and more specifically within research using the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) and the MARS for Adolescents (MARS-A). The effect sizes from 45 studies were characterized by graphing confidence intervals (CIs) across studies involving (a) adults not participating in studies focusing on remedial or entry-level mathematics students or teachers, (b) remedial mathematics and entry-level college mathematics students, (c) preservice and inservice teachers, and (d) 7–12th-grade students and rising college students. The results also illustrate how CIs can be useful in research syntheses, because CIs (a) encourage meta-analytic thinking, (b) provide information about the research precision of a literature, and (c) provide plausible estimates for parameter values even if initial research expectations are wildly wrong.     

Teaching for well-being? Introducing mindfulness in an undergraduate course

Student mental health and well-being are increasing concerns in higher education. This exploratory study examined students’ learning in a mindfulness programme incorporated into an undergraduate class. Six brief mindfulness-based practices were introduced: mindfulness meditation, walking meditation, body scan, mindful eating, loving-kindness and Tonglen meditation. Fourteen students were interviewed after completion of the course to explore their conceptions and use of mindfulness and other self-care practices. Results of thematic analyses suggest that there were variations in students’ adoption of mindfulness-based practices and students’ preferred mindfulness techniques. Most participants reported that mindfulness instruction and practice were beneficial but this was not universal; some students reported that mindfulness was ‘not for them’. Findings suggest that mindfulness fostered self-reflection, self-awareness and relaxation for many students and incorporating mindfulness at the beginning of class improved the overall quality of discussion and facilitated students’ learning. Findings further suggest that students incorporated mindfulness into existing self-care practices that included a variety of other preferred techniques to enhance self-reflection, self-awareness and relaxation. Overall, our findings suggest that students should be helped, through explicit instruction, to develop a ‘toolbox’ of self-care approaches that may include, but are not necessarily limited to, mindfulness techniques.     

Intensive Phonics vs. Gradual Phonics in Beginning Reading: A Review

Abstract

The research literature is rather replete with studies concerning the typical or average college undergraduate, but very little effort or attention has been directed toward his counterpart, the evening student. Therefore, in the present study an attempt was made to obtain a better understanding of the evening student, his motivations, values, anxieties, and aspirations. Specifically, the present study examined the relationship of anxiety, self-concept, values, and aspirations to academic achievement and career choice among students enrolled in an evening college.     

Mindfulness for education students: addressing welfare as part of the professional training

Students in special education teaching and counselling are exposed to relatively high levels of stress during their studies and their professional career, which are commonly manifested in high occupational burnout. Professional development programmes normally do not address this issue. A practicum course was developed to provide theoretical framework for research on mindfulness, training of self-application techniques, and guidelines for fieldwork teaching of these techniques to children, with the aim of improving quality of life by reducing anxiety and stress levels. Participants of mindfulness and control practicum filled questionnaires at the beginning and end of the year. Significant reduction in stress, rumination and sleep disturbances as well as elevated level of mindfulness were observed in the mindfulness practicum only. The results suggest that mindfulness training can be successfully introduced in traditional academic settings to enhance the personal mental health of future teachers, and subsequently lower their chances to suffer from burnout.     

Alleviating Anxiety and Altering Appraisals: Social-Emotional Learning in the College Classroom

Most college students experience stress and an increasing number also experience anxiety. This stress and anxiety has negative impacts on academic performance, as well as psychological well-being. In the K–12 setting, social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions have been consistently associated with improvements in outcomes related to stress and anxiety. However, little to no research has been conducted on effective ways for college instructors to help students in this area utilizing SEL. We developed a semester-long SEL program as an easy-to-implement and scientifically driven program to address this striking void. In statistics courses at two separate institutions (N?=?46), students completed weekly activities that fostered SEL-based skills and mindsets conducive to alleviating anxiety and appraising stressors in a productive manner. In our exploratory analyses, we empirically assessed the efficacy of our program utilizing a number of pre- and post- measures, including stress appraisal and various dimensions of anxiety. Significant improvements were noted in students’ ability to appraise stressors as positive challenges, rather than threats. Noteworthy improvements were also seen in students’ ability to recognize the resources available to help them cope with stressors, as well as decreases in math anxiety. These preliminary findings demonstrate that SEL programs implemented in a college setting have the potential to impact students’ psychological well-being and, in turn, their academics.     

The Effect of Meditation on Self-Reported Measures of Stress,Anxiety, Depression,and Perfectionism in a College Population

The effects of meditation, specifically Transcendental Meditation (TM), on college students' experience of stress, anxiety, depression, and perfectionistic thoughts was investigated using 43 undergraduate students. Self-report measures of the variables were completed prior to the start of the study. Student groups were trained in TM and practiced the technique consistently over a two-semester period. Post-TM measures were administered at the end of the two semesters. The groups showed a significant decline on all variables. Suggestions for the use of meditation as an adjunct to treatment in a college population are discussed.     

On Non-English Majors＇Language Anxiety and its Implications for Oral English Teaching in Higher Vocational College

Many students ex perience language anxiety when they speak English in the class. Many scholars have investigated language anxiety for years, which means that this problem has attracted more and more attention. However, most of researches on language anxiety are carried on among university undergraduates while little research has been done about vocational college students. So, the purpose of this paper is to find out the causes of vocational college non-English majors' language anxiety and explore some implications for teachers to help reducing students' anxiety so as to improve their oral proficiency and ultimately enhance their English learning.     

Randomized Trial of Web-Based Stress Management Interventions for Community College Students

Community college students may experience more severe psychological concerns than traditional university students and have fewer institutional mental health resources available. This replication study examined the efficacy of three versions of a brief, structured web-based stress management program with community college students. The program focuses on improving perceptions of control over stressors, based on research suggesting that focusing on what you can control in the present (i.e., present control) is associated with less distress and better adjustment. Participants (N = 213 community college students) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: present control intervention (PCI), PCI with enhanced stress logs (E-PCI) or PCI with mindfulness training (PCI + MF). They completed web-based, self-report measures at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-week follow-up. Participants in all three intervention conditions demonstrated reductions in perceived stress and distress symptoms from pre-intervention to post-intervention and 3-week follow-up. In the PC+ MF group, the mean-within group effect size was d = ?0.46, which was slightly larger than the PCI group (d = ?0.36) and E-PCI group (d = ?0.41). This study replicated that present control interventions are effective in a community college sample. Community college students may benefit from web-based interventions designed to increase present control.