PreK-12 Education
Seonaigh MacPherson, Patricia Rockman
January 30, 2023 DOI: 10.4324/9781003182467-10 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that mindfulness in preK-12 education has evolved from ad hoc teacher programming to specialist-delivered interventions to whole-school integrative approaches, and contends that teacher education and curricular integration offer greater promise than current whole-school models, partly by framing mindfulness as a distinctive approach to inquiry-based learning. |
Abstract
This chapter begins by considering the integration of mindfulness as social-emotional learning (SEL) in preK-12 education. Just as mindfulness migrated into higher education through contemplative studies, in preK-12 it did so by being embedded within the broader SEL curricular innovations, with implications for student wellbeing and learning. It chronicles the corresponding shift from a reliance on ad hoc programming by individual teachers to a focus on external specialists and curricula delivering interventions to the current model of more integrative approaches aimed at integrating mindfulness within whole schools and entire education systems. This whole school approach involves school leadership, staff, and as much as the students in the mindfulness “curriculum.” This reflects a shift from a health promotion to a more transformative orientation. Interpreting the research evidence on the whole school approach, the chapter concludes by suggesting that more systematic attention to teacher education and curricular integration offers greater promise. Part of this promise concerns mindfulness as a distinctive approach to inquiry-based learning, a highly valued approach to teaching and learning in modern preK-12 education.