Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Kimberly A. Rynearson

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the long-term effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on student disciplinary behavior, student academic progress and teacher absenteeism within the educational environment, using the theoretical framework of the Pro-Social Classroom theoretical model. Furthermore, by observing the before and after patterns of middle school teacher absenteeism, middle school student disciplinary behavior, and middle school student academic progress, this study addressed whether mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques were beneficial to the teacher professional development process. This study included 75 survey responses from teachers that met the sampling criteria via the Walden Participant Pool, as well as an analysis of historical data collected from the California Department of Education, national Department of Education, and the U. S. Office of Civil Rights. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA via SPSS software. The findings from this study determined that teacher participation in MBSR was statistically significant in reducing student suspensions between 6th and 7th grade students; however, teacher participation in MBSR was not statistically significant on student academic progress between 6th to 8th grade students or teacher absenteeism. When addressing positive social change, these findings can be useful in understanding the place of mindfulness programs in creating more socially and emotionally competent teachers and creating and maintaining positive classroom environments, with the goal to improve overall school efficiency and student assessment performance.

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