Development and Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Well-being Program for Teachers

Abstract

In this study, a mindfulness-based intervention program for teachers and empirically validated the effects on teachers’ stress and subjective well-being was developed. More specifically, based on the latest neuroscience and positive psychology research on mindfulness, we developed a mindfulness-based well-being program for teachers that incorporated mindfulness meditation and positive psychological factors such as compassion, loving-kindness, and gratitude. We implemented the program for eight weeks with the teachers in the experimental group. For the program effectiveness analysis, first, we compared between groups using Repeated Measure ANOVA to determine the treatment effect between the experimental and control groups. Second, Repeated Measure ANOVA and paired sample t-tests to examine the treatment effect within the experimental group were compared. In particular, we examined the persistence of the treatment effect, focusing on changes from pre- to 4-week follow up tests. The results showed that the mindfulness-based teacher well-being program was effective in increasing mindfulness and self-kindness, one of the components of compassion, and decreasing stress, such as anger and physical reactions. Furthermore, the effects on stress, which includes not only mindfulness and self-kindness but also depression, anger, and physical reactions as a result of these variables, were sustained up to four weeks after the program ended. On the other hand, self-criticism, life satisfaction, and negative affect showed significant treatment effects in the pre- and post-treatment periods, but the effects did not persist four weeks after the program ended. Based on the results of this study, we suggested ways to improve teachers' mental health and subjective well-being.