Date of Award
2-24-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education
Program
Educational Leadership
Capstone Instructor
Dr. Brian Boothe
Second Reader
Dr. Theresa Starkman
Keywords
emotional well-being, mindfulness, resilience, self-regulation
Abstract
Educators in the 21st Century face a myriad of emerging concerns with child and adolescent behavior. Surfacing educational issues include increased anxiety disorders, cyber bullying, students who have experienced trauma, increased aggressive behavior, absenteeism, and suicide ideation. As new concerns arise, educators seek ways to support students in these challenges. Mindfulness practice in schools has become more and more prevalent in the past twenty years. Research on adults who practice mindfulness has revealed lowered stress, increased resilience, and clearer focus. Researchers aim to understand the effects of mindfulness on children and adolescents. This paper analyzes how mindfulness practice impacts students’ behavior, emotional well-being, and cognitive functioning. Utilizing fifteen various studies, the writer contemplates the question: In light of what is known about educational leadership, how does the implementation of school-based mindfulness programs impact elementary and middle school students in and out of the classroom?