Is Mindfulness in Schools ‘Dead in the Water’? Teachers’ Voices Argue for a More Integrative Approach
British Journal of Educational Studies May 11, 2026 Rodrigo Brito, Edward Sellman
Interviews and focus groups with 15 experienced mindfulness teachers in England and Wales generated 10 guiding principles for implementing mindfulness as an integral educational practice rather than a therapeutic intervention. The principles emphasize cultural transformation, cultivating mindful attitudes, flexible curricula, and prioritizing adult training and leadership engagement. Teachers viewed mindfulness as fostering compassion, creativity, ethical awareness, and relational flourishing. The findings argue that mindfulness should be reframed as a pathway toward collective wellbeing and flourishing rather than an individual coping mechanism, with sustainable implementation depending on systemic commitment and a culture of care in school communities.