Context Always Matters: A Grassroots Model for a Mindfulness Program in Schools
Karl N. Prevost, Ashley Baer, Andrew Roach, Emily Graybill, Sarah E. Carlson
Contemporary School Psychology June 16, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s40688-026-00606-6 via Springer Nature
Summary
A new grassroots mindfulness program called the Mindful Breathing Program (MBP) was tested in a K–12 public school district in the United States. Students showed increases in mindfulness, positive emotions, and helpful behaviors, along with decreases in negative emotions, emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, inattention, and conduct problems. Teachers improved in acting with awareness, describing and accepting inner experiences, nonreactivity, mindful teaching, and self-efficacy for managing stress, supporting student behavior, and using responsive instruction. The findings suggest MBP supports self-regulation, emotional balance, and well-being for both students and educators.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Exploratory study with pre- and post-intervention measures Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Students and teachers in a K–12 public school district in the United States |
| Keywords | Mindfulness in education Teacher well-being Student social-emotional functioning Self-regulation School climate |
| Key finding | Participation in the Mindful Breathing Program was associated with increases in mindfulness, positive affect, and prosocial behaviors among students, and gains in mindfulness traits, mindful teaching, and self-efficacy among teachers. |
Abstract
This exploratory study examined the impact of the newly developed Mindful Breathing Program (MBP), a grassroots mindfulness-based intervention, on the social-emotional well-being of students and teachers in a K–12 public school district in the United States. Pre- and post-intervention measures assessed students’ levels of mindfulness, affect, social-emotional functioning, and prosocial behavior, as well as teachers’ mindfulness traits and embodiment of mindfulness in instructional practice. Results indicated that students demonstrated increases in mindfulness, positive affect, and prosocial behaviors, along with reductions in negative affect, emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, and conduct problems. Teachers also showed significant gains in acting with awareness, describing and accepting inner experiences, nonreactivity, and mindful engagement in teaching, as well as increased self-efficacy for managing stress, supporting student behavior, and using responsive instruction. Overall, findings suggest that participation in MBP supports self-regulation, emotional balance, and well-being among both students and educators. Findings are discussed in terms of emphasizing contextual fit, relational connection, and local stakeholder engagement for developing and using mindfulness-based programs such as MBP.