The impact of mindfulness meditation training and practice on post-graduate coaching students
Ben van den Assem, V. Dulewicz, J. Passmore
International Coaching Psychology Review 2022 DOI: 10.53841/bpsicpr.2022.17.1.5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 67 |
| Population | Post-graduate trainee-coaches |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 10-week program |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Education |
| Key findings | Mindfulness increased in 85 percent of trainee-coaches after a 10-week program, and 78 percent viewed the training positively. Increases in mindfulness were positively related to days spent practicing. Academic performance was less directly related to the training, and no significant gender differences were found. The authors argue that mindfulness training supports the development of professional and personal skills in coaching. |
Abstract
This study aims to examine the insights and development of post-graduate trainee-coaches engaged in mindfulness meditation training and how mindfulness meditation contributed to their development and performance.Data were gathered from 67 trainee-coaches who undertook a 10-week program. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) measured pre-and post-training results. Opinions of the training and a daily diary log system to track the time each spent in mindfulness meditation practice were used to capture the impact of the training and each trainee’s contribution to the development of their own mindfulness. Ten hypotheses were proposed.An increase in mindfulness in trainee-coaches was found for the majority (85 per cent) after the practice sessions. A large majority (78 per cent) were positive about the training and practice and had found it beneficial. Those with higher levels of mindfulness, and those whose mindfulness had improved, tended to have more favourable opinions of mindfulness, showing positive effects of practice in contrast to those with lower mindfulness. These and a positive relationship between increases in mindfulness during training and the days available spent practising mindfulness are the important findings. Three hypotheses were supported. These indicated higher FFMQ scores in the students’ mindfulness meditation after the training; relationships between trainees’ FFMQ pre- and post-test scores and available days spent practicing; and opinion of their mindfulness meditation practice and the days available spent practicing. Two other hypotheses were partially supported: Relationships between FFMQ pre- and post-scores and trainees’ opinions about their mindfulness meditation practice; and between FFMQ post- and pre-scores and trainee academic achievement on the academic module in which mindfulness meditation was taught and practised. Academic performance was less directly related to mindfulness meditation training and practice and there were no significant differences between males and females on measures relating to the training and practice.Findings on increases in mindfulness, opinions of mindfulness practice and academic performance are explained or generally supported by the literature. Practical applications, limitations and further research are also covered. The importance of training is presented in terms of the development of insights and the mindfulness skills of attention, presence, empathy, self-regulation and non-judgement, the impact of which are fundamental in mindfulness coaching.Mindfulness meditation training of trainee-coaches complements and aids the development of professional and personal skills. The training offers opportunities for greater interpersonal insights, and the use of mindfulness meditation in coaching practice.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
and 7 more in the library