Is Mindfulness in Schools ‘Dead in the Water’? Teachers’ Voices Argue for a More Integrative Approach
Rodrigo Brito, Edward Sellman
British Journal of Educational Studies May 11, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/00071005.2026.2669075 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Experienced mindfulness teachers from England and Wales |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Focus optics Psychotherapist |
| Key findings | 10 guiding principles for an integral approach to mindfulness in education, emphasizing cultural transformation, mindful attitudes, flexible curricula, and adult training and leadership engagement. |
Abstract
Recent debates within mindfulness in education in the United Kingdom highlight tensions between instrumental and integral approaches. Large-scale evidence from the University of Oxford’s MYRIAD project has questioned the effectiveness of school-based mindfulness in preventing adolescent mental health problems, while revealing positive impacts on teachers’ wellbeing and school climate. This study adopts a phenomenological and hermeneutic framework to explore teachers’ perspectives on how mindfulness can be implemented as an integral educational practice rather than a therapeutic intervention. After initial semi-structured interviews with 15 experienced mindfulness teachers from England and Wales, four in-depth focus groups with six of these participants followed and these data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. The findings identify 10 guiding principles for an integral approach, emphasising cultural transformation, the cultivation of mindful attitudes, flexible and evolving curricula, and the prioritisation of adult training and leadership engagement. Participants viewed mindfulness as an educational endeavour fostering compassion, creativity, ethical awareness, and relational flourishing. The discussion situates these insights within broader critiques of neoliberal performativity in education, arguing that mindfulness should be reframed as a pathway toward collective wellbeing and flourishing rather than an individual coping mechanism. Sustainable implementation, therefore, depends on systemic commitment and the cultivation of a culture of care in school communities.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Mindfulness for Teachers: A Pilot Study to Assess Effects on Stress, Burnout, and Teaching Efficacy Mind, Brain, and Education August 16, 2013
- Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its association with outcomes Behaviour Research and Therapy May 10, 2017
- Beyond All Splits: Envisioning the Next Generation of Science on Mindfulness and Compassion in Schools for Students. Mindfulness November 11, 2022
- Teaching Mindfulness in an Unmindful System British Journal of Educational Studies September 14, 2023
- ADDING LEMON JUICE TO POISON – RAISING CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OXYMORONIC NATURE OF MINDFULNESS IN EDUCATION AND ITS FUTURE DIRECTION British Journal of Educational Studies February 16, 2019
and 2 more in the library