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Aymara Childrens’ Practice of Transcendental Meditation in Perú: A Learning History Model of Parent and Teacher Perceptions

Lee Fergusson, Javier Ortiz Cabrejos, Anna Bonshek

Journal of Latinos & Education March 19, 2021 DOI: 10.1080/15348431.2021.1876695 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

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Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Population Parents and teachers of Aymara school children in Puno, Perú
Intervention Transcendental Meditation
Topics Meditation
Keywords Education
Key findings Frequency and saliency analysis of interviews with parents and teachers revealed both confirmatory and unique knowledge outcomes regarding the consequences of Transcendental Meditation on Aymara school children's personal, academic, and social lives.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique in schools and universities throughout the world has been well researched over a 50-year period suggesting it is a useful tool for student development and learning. However, introduction of the practice into school systems throughout Latin America is a relatively recent phenomenon and no research has been published on the likely or actual outcomes from this initiative. Moreover, research conducted on the practice in international settings has typically involved investigation of standard educational variables – such as academic performance, intelligence, and behavior – and has mostly used only quantitative methods and designs to do so. For this study, conducted on the practice in Puno, Perú, we have adopted a learning history approach using a third-person action research method of semi-structured interviews to hear and understand the distinct voices of parents and teachers about the consequences of practicing Transcendental Meditation on the personal, academic and social lives of Aymara school children. Results from frequency and saliency analysis indicate that a series of confirmatory as well as unique knowledge outcomes have emerged in this setting, and these are discussed in the context of international empirical results to create a learned history of the practice in Perú.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... 2017 Qualitative study with mixed-methods
The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Nurses in a hospital system 2004 Implementation study with mixed methods
An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care Primary care patients with recurrent depression or recurrent depression and anxiety 2006 Exploratory mixed methods study n = 13
A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression Participants in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in a mental-health context 2001 Qualitative study n = 7
Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Meditators 2013 Qualitative study using grounded theory methodology

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