Mindfulness Curriculum Comparison for Educators

Introduction

In modern education, there is a growing recognition of the importance of not only academic achievement but also the development of personal and social skills. Traditional educational methods often prioritize academics, sometimes at the expense of nurturing crucial personal and social competencies. To address this gap, mindfulness education is becoming increasingly popular and is being integrated with humanistic theories to improve curriculum design. This article aims to provide a comprehensive comparison of mindfulness curricula for educators, drawing upon research and practical applications in the field.

The Rise of Mindfulness in Education

The last decade has witnessed an upswing in the adoption of mindfulness practices, which involve intentionally focusing attention on our thoughts, feelings, and environment in the present moment. Initially, mindfulness-based programs were primarily designed for adults. However, recent initiatives have focused on promoting the well-being of children and adolescents, leading to the increasing prevalence of mindfulness programs in schools.

School-based mindfulness programs (SBMPs) are being recommended for the prevention and treatment of mental health challenges, as well as for promoting well-being among youth in schools. This recommendation has intensified as evidence increasingly demonstrates strong links between students’ social, emotional, and behavioral development and academic learning. Research on individual SBMPs has revealed numerous positive impacts, including intrapersonal effects on academic outcomes such as academic goal setting, performance, and engagement. Improvements to self-regulatory functioning have also been noted, including attention, executive functioning, emotion regulation, and behavior regulation. These SBMPs have demonstrated changes in mental health outcomes, including positive intrapersonal changes such as reduced depression and anxiety, and positive interpersonal changes such as reductions in hostility and aggression and increased prosociality and empathy.

The Need for Clarity in SBMP Content and Implementation

Despite the growing popularity of SBMPs, a lack of clarity exists regarding their content and implementation. Content variation may contribute to contradictory findings on their effectiveness. Although programs use the common term SBMP, research has found “limited similarity between interventions,” with each containing “a different, complex amalgamation of theories, aims, approaches, and techniques”. Disagreements have even been found between researchers and practitioners regarding what should constitute youth mindfulness-based program core components.

Variation also exists in who facilitates SBMPs. In published research, most SBMPs were led by trained mindfulness facilitators who typically have personal and professional training and experience with mindfulness. Meanwhile, teachers implementing SBMPs are often provided training on the curriculum, but that training is often brief. Teacher facilitation has been identified as a possible reason for the lack of intervention effects, especially when they are mindfulness-naive. Moreover, with time and funds in short supply, schools may cut corners and only use resources absolutely required. Many SBMP curricula are available to freely download or purchase, so teachers may be asked to use the curricula without formal training.

Defining Core Curricular Content

This article examines “core curricular content,” which refers to mindfulness practices, skills, and knowledge articulated in SBMP written curricula. Consistent with SBMP reviews, a mindfulness practice is defined as a meditative act where a student is asked to take a specific orientation toward their experience, namely, “awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally”. Mindfulness skills are dispositions, capacities, or habits cultivated through practicing mindfulness.

In Western society, mindfulness often focuses on individual, intrapersonal practices and skills involving awareness of and detachment from what is happening in the mind and body. Some propose there should be more focus on interpersonal practices and skills that place attention and awareness on others and promote mindful and compassionate responding.

Core curricular content is subsumed under the broader concept of “core components,” which also includes variables like characteristics of implementation, implementer, and setting. Core components are the program elements “judged necessary to produce desired outcomes” and, therefore, “directly related to a program’s theory of change”. Theories related to the mechanisms of adult mindfulness programs exist; a recent systematic review of component studies has defined and validated active ingredients producing outcomes in adult programs. Yet, adult needs differ from children’s. Lacking clear knowledge of core curricular content of SBMPs, it is difficult to formulate a theory of change delineating the essential program elements that produce intended outcomes. Exploring what is in the “black box” of these curricula is one way to answer the call for more research on core components of SBMPs.

Research Questions and Methodology

The overarching research question for this study was: What would teachers teach if they used an SBMP curriculum exactly as written? Specifically, the curriculum was examined for (1) mindfulness practices presented, (2) mindfulness skills taught through practices and activities, and (3) mindfulness-related knowledge conveyed to students.

Mindfulness curricula, either researched in schools or marketed to teachers, available for download or purchase without proof of qualifications or paid training were identified. Twelve SBMPs were used for these analyses. All SBMPs were identified as “mindfulness-based” (by the developer) and able to be used in PreK-12 schools, with a written curriculum available in English. A directed content analysis was used to examine curricular content of 12 SBMPs. Codes were primarily deductive and based on previous research on mechanisms of action for mindfulness, components posited for adult programs, and existing theories of change. Some codes were also inductive, based on emergence in curricular content. The curriculum was coded exactly as written, rather than considering the myriad ways one might “enact” the curriculum. All required lessons/CEs and homework were coded as if they had been completed as directed. Full implementation fidelity and access to all required material were assumed.

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Mindfulness Skills and Practices

For skill and practice coding, lessons were unitized into curricular elements (CEs), denoted by different activities (e.g., didactic, practice, reflection) occurring throughout; when possible, the structure presented in the curriculum was followed (e.g., FLO has a developer-defined CE called “rest and reflection”). For CEs that contained mindfulness practices, one code was awarded to capture the type of mindfulness practice (e.g., mindful listening). Practices were grouped into intrapersonal (i.e., somatic practice, awareness of mental states, cultivating pleasant states, self-compassion/kindness) and interpersonal categories (i.e., mindful communication, empathy/perspective-taking, and compassion/kindness). CEs with a mindfulness practice (e.g., awareness of emotions), discussion (e.g., discussing a story character’s emotions), class activity (e.g., emotion charades), or reflection (e.g., reflecting on one’s perspective) could be coded with up to two mindfulness skill codes. No skill codes were awarded for purely didactic CEs (e.g., brain science).

Knowledge - Lesson Topics Coding

The lesson front matter (i.e., objective(s), purpose, goal(s), intention(s), and/or description) was coded for mindfulness-related knowledge using coding categories primarily aligned with mindfulness skills and practices. Two previous codes were expanded; the Somatic practice category was expanded to capture somatic awareness knowledge more broadly, and the Social Connection code was expanded to include the topic of Interdependence.

Reliability

For skills/practices, three coders (including authors) coded one curriculum. Discrepancies were addressed, and the codebook was clarified. A second curriculum was double-coded to assure consistency. Individual coders coded the remaining curricula with ~ 22% of CEs purposefully selected for double coding; CEs were selected based on queries, which likely reduced reliability. Reliability was 73% based on percent agreement. For knowledge, two curricula were double-coded; across all codes, percent agreement was 93%. The codebook was clarified, and a third curriculum was double-coded; reliability was 97% based on percent agreement. Because of the high agreement, a single coder coded the remaining curricula with coding questions identified for discussion and rectification. All discrepancies and questions were rectified by consensus during regular team meetings. Coding and descriptive analyses were conducted in Excel. For all coding categories, a percentage was calculated for each SBMP that represented the total number of codes awarded for a given category divided by the total number of required CEs (skills/practices) or required lessons (knowledge). T-tests were also conducted in SPSS 28 to understand how length of the programs may have influenced content. SBMPs with 24 lessons or more were compared with those that were delivered in 18 lessons or less (i.e., less than half of the school year) to investigate relationships between curricular content and program length. Because this was exploratory and a small sample, we did not correct for the number of statistical tests; however, the more conservative p-value was used when Levene’s test for equality of variances was significant.

Key Findings from SBMP Curricula Analysis

The analysis of twelve SBMPs revealed several key findings regarding mindfulness practices, skills, and knowledge conveyed to students.

Intrapersonal Practices

All SBMPs incorporated intrapersonal mindfulness practices, ranging from 20.4% to 73.5% of CEs, with the majority being somatic (range = 15.4%-60.4%). Breathing practices were included in all programs, with DM having the highest proportion. Eleven curricula offered Body Scan/Awareness practices, with the highest proportion in SOTF. Ten curricula featured mindful movement/walking practices, with L2B, an MBSR-derived program, having the highest proportion. For sense practices, ten curricula had mindful listening, with WW and DM having the highest proportion. Regarding non-somatic intrapersonal practices, Awareness of Mental States was coded in seven curricula, with the MBSR-adapted curricula (L2B, MBSRT, SQP) having the greatest proportion. Practices for Cultivating Pleasant States were identified in nine curricula, with SEE, a compassion-based program which used resourcing/savoring as a core practice, having the highest proportion. Self-compassion practices were coded in low proportion in eight curricula.

Intrapersonal Skills

Focused Attention, Emotion Regulation, and Emotion Awareness were cultivated in all SBMPs. WW was highest for CEs supporting the skill of Focused Attention, while SOTF represented the top of the range proportionally for Emotion Regulation and Emotion Awareness. Thought Awareness was identified in nine programs while Open Awareness was only coded infrequently in seven; the MBSR-derived curricula were highest proportionally for both. Finally, Self-compassion/Kindness skills were coded in nine curricula, with the highest proportion in SQP.

Intrapersonal Knowledge

Intrapersonal mindfulness lesson topics were present in all curricula, most often through Somatic Awareness. While all curricula cultivated the skill of Focused Attention, explicit learning objectives for Focused Attention that extended beyond attention to the body (coded as Somatic Awareness knowledge) were found in only six curricula with DM having the highest proportion. Although there was not a difference in Focused Attention skills or practices, longer programs had a significantly greater proportion of lessons that cultivated this knowledge. Regarding other types of intrapersonal knowledge, Emotion Regulation, present as a skill in all curricula, was in lesson objectives/explanations for nine; DM, SOTF, SQP, and WW had 20% or more.

Integrating Mindfulness Education and Humanistic Principles

In this study, the concept of mindfulness education is operated through specific curriculum design and classroom activities. These courses guide students to experience and master mindfulness skills through meditation practice, concentration training and emotion regulation practice, and help them to enhance their interest in learning, enhance their concentration, improve their emotion regulation ability, and promote the development of spiritual quality. Diversified humanistic theories focus on individual student development. They understand the educational process from multiple perspectives, emphasizing participatory learning, tailored teaching, positive interpersonal relationships, and self-exploration.

In this study, the application of humanistic theory is mainly reflected in the choice of curriculum design and teaching methods. By designing comprehensive course content, students’ interests and needs can be satisfied and their learning motivation can be stimulated. Student-centered teaching methods are adopted, such as open-ended questions, group cooperative learning, project research, etc. Students are encouraged to actively participate in classroom interaction and cultivate their critical thinking and innovative ability. In addition, the teaching process pays attention to establishing a supportive and respectful classroom atmosphere. The combination of mindfulness education and humanistic theory has unique advantages in curriculum planning. It can meet the comprehensive needs of students from different levels. Mindfulness education helps students stay calm and focused in the learning process by cultivating their self-awareness, concentration and emotional adjustment ability, and can better cope with academic pressure and emotional distress. This inner psychological balance and emotional stability is very important for students’ learning performance and mental health in class. From the perspective of external support, humanistic theory emphasizes respecting students’ individual differences, paying attention to students’ emotional needs and psychological growth, advocating student-centered teaching methods and paying attention to students’ self-realization potential. This theory encourages teachers to become guides and supporters, and provides students with a positive and respectful learning environment, thus stimulating students’ interest and initiative in learning. The reason for combining these two frameworks is that they can complement each other and form a balanced teaching system. Mindfulness education provides students with internal support by improving their emotional adjustment and concentration, while humanism theory creates an external support environment through care and respect. It makes students get more encouragement and encouragement psychologically. This combination can improve students’ learning efficiency, and promote their mental health and personal growth. Through such curriculum planning, students can be comprehensively cultivated in academic, emotional and psychological health, and then maximize their potential.

Examples of Mindfulness Programs in Schools

Several mindfulness programs have demonstrated promising results in school settings.

Mindful Schools Program

The curriculum of the Oakland-based Mindful Schools program serves low-income, ethnic-minority elementary school students. The Mindful Schools curriculum lasts five weeks, with three sessions per week, and focuses on mindfulness practices that help children pay attention, build empathy and self-awareness, improve self-control, and reduce stress. Immediately after the program ended, student behavior improved significantly in all four areas measured-paying attention, self-control, classroom participation, and respect for others-and these gains were maintained seven weeks later. Though this study is limited by the lack of a true control group-i.e., the researchers don’t know whether other students at the school might have shown the same improvements, even without the Mindful Schools training-it is one of the largest studies of a school-based mindfulness program to date. Its findings have exciting implications for the potential of mindfulness training to benefit underserved elementary school students.

Move-into-Learning (MIL) Program

The feasibility of an eight-week mindfulness-based program called Move-into-Learning (MIL) was administered to two classrooms of third graders at a low-income, urban elementary school in the Midwest. The MIL program involved a weekly 45-minute session, led by an outside trainer, that included mindfulness meditation, yoga and breathing exercises set to music, and positive self-expression through writing and visual arts. At the end of the eight weeks, teachers observed significantly less hyperactive behavior, ADHD symptoms, and inattentiveness among their students; these improvements were maintained two months later. In fact, students continued to show improvements in their attentiveness even after the program had ended. What’s more, interviews with the participating teachers revealed that they found the program to be feasible to implement, appropriate and enjoyable for their classrooms, and beneficial for students’ attendance and behavior.

Mindfulness Meditation for Alternative School Students

At-risk high school students’ perceptions of the benefits of mindfulness meditation were explored. Students attending an alternative high school in a low-income, rural area participated in half-hour guided mindfulness meditation sessions, offered flexibly at least twice per week for eight weeks. After the program ended, students were asked what changes they had noticed since beginning to practice meditation. From eight types of potential benefit identified by the study’s authors, those rated as most important by the students were stress relief and enhanced school climate, including through improved teacher mood. Although further study is needed, these results indicate that high-risk adolescents can sense the benefits of mindfulness meditation after just brief exposure to the practice.

Mindfulness in Schools Program (MiSP)

The acceptability and effectiveness of a British program for students ages 12 to 16 called the Mindfulness in Schools Program (MiSP) was examined. The MiSP curriculum consists of nine scripted mindfulness lessons, delivered weekly by trained classroom teachers. In this study, involving over 500 kids total, six schools receiving the MiSP program-and whose teachers had already been trained in the program-were matched with six similar schools where teachers had expressed interest in mindfulness but had not been trained in MiSP. Compared to students in the non-MiSP schools, MiSP students reported significantly decreased depression symptoms immediately after the end of the program. In follow-up surveys conducted three months after the program ended, during the stressful summer exam period, MiSP students reported significantly less stress and symptoms of depression and significantly greater well-being compared to their non-MiSP counterparts. Also, the more frequently students reported using mindfulness practices, the better their scores were.

Divergent Effects of Contemplative Practices

A study by Hirshberg, Goldberg, Schaefer, Flook, Findley, and Davidson (2018) explored the divergent effects of brief contemplative practices in response to an acute stressor. The randomized controlled trial examined brief breath awareness, loving-kindness, gratitude, or an attention control practice.

The Role of Teachers in Mindfulness Programs

The effectiveness of mindfulness programs can be influenced by the training and experience of the facilitators. Programs led by trained mindfulness facilitators, who have personal and professional training, tend to show more consistent positive outcomes. When teachers implement SBMPs, they often receive brief training on the curriculum. However, the lack of in-depth training and experience with mindfulness can be a reason for the lack of intervention effects, especially when teachers are new to mindfulness.

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