Mindfulness for Teachers: A Pilot Study to Assess Effects on Stress, Burnout, and Teaching Efficacy

A modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course adapted for teachers reduced psychological symptoms and burnout, improved classroom organization as rated by observers, enhanced performance on a computer task measuring affective attentional bias, and increased self-compassion among participants. Control group participants showed declines in cortisol functioning over time and marginally significant increases in burnout. Changes in mindfulness correlated in the expected direction with changes in psychological symptoms, burnout, and sustained attention in the intervention group. The course appears promising for supporting teacher well-being and classroom effectiveness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Despite the crucial role of teachers in fostering children's academic learning and social-emotional well-being, addressing teacher stress in the classroom remains a significant challenge in education. The present study reports results from a randomized controlled pilot trial of a modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course (mMBSR) adapted specifically for teachers. Results suggest the course may be a promising intervention, with participants showing significant reductions in psychological symptoms and burnout, improvements in observer-rated classroom organization and performance on a computer task of affective attentional bias, and increases in self-compassion. In contrast, control group participants showed declines in cortisol functioning over time and marginally significant increases in burnout. Furthermore, changes in mindfulness were correlated in the expected direction with changes across several outcomes (psychological symptoms, burnout, sustained attention) in the intervention group. Implications of these findings for the training and support of teachers are discussed.