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Teachers' Perspectives on the Benefits of Using Mindfulness to Promote the Well- Being and Mental Health of Children

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Abstract

The aim of this research study was to explore ‘’Teacher’s Perspectives on the Benefits of Using Mindfulness to Promote the Well-Being of Children’’. The focus is placed on how mindfulness can benefit a child’s mental health and on how it can enhance the lives of children, by encouraging them to reflect on their emotions and understand and accept their emotions in a non-judgmental way. A review of current literature on mindfulness was conducted to help the researcher understand the information already available on the topic. The researcher used qualitative research methods, by conducting six semi-structured interviews. The interview took place in a local primary school that was well known for its level of mindfulness practices. The participants that were interviewed all had experience in working with mindfulness and had delivered mindfulness programmes to the children in the school. The researcher conducted a thematic analysis of the results and identified five major recurring themes: 1. Children’s ability to self-regulate 2. Children’s self-directed and independent use of mindfulness 3. Mindfulness can be a tool for treating or coping with mental health issues 4. Mindfulness helps children’s recognition and acceptance of emotions 5. Capability of teachers Each theme will be discussed in further detail in the research below in Chapter 5, while also being related to existing literature. The findings of the research interviews showed that each participant believed that mindfulness was an extremely powerful and beneficial tool to use in the hopes of enhancing a child’s mental health and well-being. Each participant had a different and unique approach to using mindfulness with children but the results they each saw were similar. Children were better able to regulate, understand and accept their emotions as a result of practicing mindfulness. Teachers also felt that children were more attentive after mindful meditations and it improved how they behaved and presented themselves.
Teachers' Perspectives on the Benefits of
Using Mindfulness to Promote the Well-
Being and Mental Health of Children
By
Eva Curtin
K00209912
A research
project submitted to the School of Business and
Humanities,
Limerick Institute of Technology in partial fulfilment of the
requirements of the Bachelor of Arts Honours in Social Care
Work.
29th April 2019
Supervised by:
Dr. Frank Houghton
2
LIMERICK INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS &
HUMANITIES
Final Year Project COVER SHEET
Student Name Eva Curtin
Student Number: K00209912
Course Name: BA (Honours) Social Care Work
Supervisor Name: Frank Houghton
Subject Title: Final Year Project
Plagiarism Disclaimer:
I understand that plagiarism is a serious offence and I have read and
understood the college policy on plagiarism. I also understand that
I may receive a mark of zero if I have not identified and properly
attributed sources that have been used, referred to or have in any
way influenced the preparation of this assignment. Furthermore, I
understand that I may receive a mark of zero if I have knowingly
allowed others to plagiarise my work in any way. I hereby declare
that this Final Year Project is my work based on my personal study
and /or research and that I have acknowledged all material and
sources used in its preparation. I also declare that this Final Year
Project has not been previously submitted for assessment.
Signed:
Date:
3
Contents
Acknowledgements 5
Chapter 1 – Abstract 6
Chapter 2 – Introduction 8
2.1 Aims of Research 8
2.2 Objectives of Research 8
Chapter 3 – Literature Review 9
3.1 Introduction to Chapter: 9
3.2 What is Mindfulness? 10
3.3 The History of Mindfulness 12
3.4 Mindfulness and Mental Health 13
3.5 Overall benefits of Mindfulness 14
3.6 Mindfulness Strategies/Techniques 16
3.7 Mindfulness Treatments for Children 17
3.8 Critiques of Mindfulness 20
3.9 Summary of Literature Review 21
Chapter 4 – Methodology 22
4.1 Introduction 22
4.2 Qualitative Research 23
4.3 Procedure 23
4.4 Participants 24
4.5 Measures 25
4.5.1 Research Instrument 25
4.5.2 Semi-structured Interviews 25
4.6 Data Analysis – Thematic Analysis 26
4.7 Informed Consent and Ethical Considerations 28
4.8 Limitations of Research 28
4.9 Conclusion 29
Chapter 5 – Results and Discussion 30
5.1 Theme 1: Mindfulness helps with self-regulation of emotions 30
5.2 Theme 2: Children’s self-directed and independent use of
mindfulness in stressful situations 33
5.3 Theme 3: Mindfulness may not prevent mental illnesses, but
perhaps it can be a tool to treat mental health issues 35
4
5.4 Theme 4: Mindfulness helps children's recognition and
acceptance of emotions 37
5.5 Theme 5: Capability of teachers 39
5.6 Summary of Results and Discussion 41
Chapter 6 – Conclusions and Recommendations 43
6.1 Conclusion 43
6.2 Recommendations 43
Chapter 7 – References 46
Chapter 8 – Appendices 52
Appendix 1: Letter to Principal 52
Appendix 2: Information Letter for Participants 53
Appendix 3: Consent Form 54
Appendix 4: Interview Questions 55
Appendix 5: Ethical Approval Form 56
5
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all my lecturers from Limerick Institute
of Technology for their hard work and dedication the past
four years. I will always appreciate the knowledge, advice and
encouragement that was given to me throughout the years. I
would like to also extend a special thanks to my research
supervisor, Frank Houghton for his hard work and advice over
the past few months. Your professionalism and
encouragement were so beneficial to me.
To my parents and siblings; without your support and love, I
would not be the person I am today. Mam and Dad, thank you
both for sacrificing so much to make this all possible for me.
You both have helped me to see and understand the value of
hard work. To James and Becky, thank you for both always
looking out for me and encouraging me.
To my boyfriend Dylan, who I could always go to in times of
need. Thank you for easing my stress and reassuring me what
I am capable of. Thank you, also, for helping me to blow off
steam when I needed to and for reminding me to enjoy my
time in college.
Lastly, thank you to my best friends. Thank you all for the
love, laughs, memories and most importantly, the
empowerment throughout our years together in college. We
have made memories together that will never be forgotten.
Each friendship is deeply treasured and appreciated.
6
Chapter 1 – Abstract
The aim of this research study was to explore ‘’Teacher’s
Perspectives on the Benefits of Using Mindfulness to Promote
the Well-Being of Children’’. The focus is placed on how
mindfulness can benefit a child’s mental health and on how it
can enhance the lives of children, by encouraging them to
reflect on their emotions and understand and accept their
emotions in a non-judgmental way.
A review of current literature on mindfulness was conducted
to help the researcher understand the information already
available on the topic. The researcher used qualitative
research methods, by conducting six semi-structured
interviews. The interview took place in a local primary school
that was well known for its level of mindfulness practices.
The participants that were interviewed all had experience in
working with mindfulness and had delivered mindfulness
programmes to the children in the school. The researcher
conducted a thematic analysis of the results and identified five
major recurring themes:
1. Children’s ability to self-regulate
2. Children’s self-directed and independent use of
mindfulness
3. Mindfulness can be a tool for treating or coping with
mental health issues
4. Mindfulness helps children’s recognition and
acceptance of emotions
5. Capability of teachers
7
Each theme will be discussed in further detail in the research
below in Chapter 5, while also being related to existing
literature. The findings of the research interviews showed that
each participant believed that mindfulness was an extremely
powerful and beneficial tool to use in the hopes of enhancing
a child’s mental health and well-being. Each participant had a
different and unique approach to using mindfulness with
children but the results they each saw were similar. Children
were better able to regulate, understand and accept their
emotions as a result of practicing mindfulness. Teachers also
felt that children were more attentive after mindful
meditations and it improved how they behaved and presented
themselves.
8
Chapter 2 – Introduction
2.1 Aims of Research
The aim of this research is to explore Teachers’ Perspectives
on the Benefits of Using Mindfulness to Promote the Well-
Being and Mental Health of Children. Mindfulness is a
current and relevant concept that is becoming more and more
popular in the Western world. The research will investigate
teachers’ opinions of the strengths of practicing mindfulness
with children in a classroom, and the effects it can have on a
child’s behavior, attitudes and emotions. The researcher is
attempting to find out what exactly teachers think of the
concept of mindfulness in the classroom and if they think it is
a reliable tool to promote a child’s mental health. The
researcher also wants to determine if mindfulness can be used
as a tool to prevent or treat mental health issues.
2.2 Objectives of Research
The researcher will use qualitative research methods to reach
the aims of the research. Semi-structured interviews will be
conducted and audio-recorded with teachers who deliver
mindfulness programmes to children. These interviews will
ask questions about the way children act before and after
practicing mindfulness and will look at aspects of mental
health improvements and mindfulness. The researcher will
then carry out a thematic analysis of the interviews to identify
the key themes that arose during the interview process.
9
Chapter 3 – Literature Review
3.1 Introduction to Chapter:
Chapter 2 has given an introduction to this research regarding
the use of mindfulness among young children and the benefits
it can potentially have. This chapter will present an
exploration into and the summation of the literature that is
currently available on this subject. Currently, the ways that
meditation and mindfulness practices contribute to physical as
well as psychological well-being are not well understood
(Brown, Ryan, & Creswell, 2007), so this chapter will
identify studies that were conducted to show the benefits of
using mindfulness. It will also examine mindfulness and its
usefulness in reducing stress and mental health issues. There
have been studies conducted to show the benefits of
mindfulness in areas such as mental health (Williams et al
2010; Richards et al 2010) and social work (Moore et al 2011;
Shier and Graham et al 2011). These various studies will be
examined, and the findings will be applied to the topic that is
being discussed in this research piece. The following topics
will be discussed:
What is Mindfulness?
The history of Mindfulness
Mindfulness and mental health
The overall benefits of Mindfulness
Mindfulness strategies/techniques
Mindfulness Treatments for children
Critiques of Mindfulness
A summary of Literature Review
10
3.2 What is Mindfulness?
Bodhi (2011) mentions that the goal of mindfulness is to
reduce and expel suffering and attain a state of peacefulness
and bliss. Mindfulness involves the contemplation of one’s
own personal experiences and asks a person to examine their
body, feelings, state of mind and experiential phenomena. The
concept and practice of mindfulness has become increasingly
popular and has been brought into modern medicine and
clinical psychology in recent years (Salmon et al 2004). Some
areas that mindfulness has been used for are stress
management and reduction, anxiety reduction, coping with
social rejection and interventions among intellectually
disabled persons. Greenwalt and Nguyen (2017) defined
mindfulness as ‘’the practice of observing one’s body,
feelings, mind, and objects of the mind, in the present
moment, nonjudgmentally, and in relation to the living
environment’’ (pg.55). Additionally, Germer (2005) argued
that ‘’to be mindful is to wake up, to recognize what is
happening in the present moment” (p. 24).
Mindfulness has been defined in many ways and by many
theorists, but the core ideas of mindfulness remain the same in
most perspectives. One core concept of mindfulness that
seems to be consistent throughout beliefs is the idea of being
aware in the present moment. Germer (2005) simply defined
mindfulness as ‘moment by moment awareness’ (pg. 2005,
p.26). This type of awareness allows for the participant to be
fully aware of what is happening in the present moment and
aims to prevent distractions such as thoughts about the past or
11
the future (Germer, 2005). Brown and Ryan (2003) suggest
that a mindful state of consciousness is "attention to and
awareness of current experience or present reality" (Brown &
Ryan, 2003, p. 822). Kabat-Zinn (1994) highlights another
core concept of mindfulness, giving a definition which states
that "Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way:
on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally"
(Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p. 4). Being non-judgmental allows
mindfulness to become a tool one uses to become aware
without over-using their energy. This concept of mindfulness
allows the participant to be mindful and aware in noticing
what the experience is like. Another idea that Kabat Zinn
(1994) argues is important is the intent of mindfulness. Kabat-
Zinn believes one must intentionally make the decision to
practice mindfulness in order to reach mindful state. The
significance of the intent of mindfulness highlights the idea
that trying to attain a mindful and peaceful state will require
effort (Kabat-Zinn, 199).
Mindfulness has become a popular epidemic in the Western
world in recent years. The concept became popular when Jon
Kabat-Zinn introduced his programme of ‘Mindfulness Based
Stress Reduction’ in 1979 (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Since its
debut, this method of stress reduction has been adopted by
hundreds of hospitals, clinics and medical centers across the
world (Bodhi. 2011). Initially, the benefits of practicing
mindfulness and meditation were examined in clinical
settings. Quantitative research was carried out by Carmody
and Baer (2008), which showed that the use of the
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programme helped to
reduce psychological stress, both before and after taking part
in the mindfulness course. This research shows how Kabat-
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Zinn took the idea and process of mindfulness and used it as a
tool that is beneficial in mental health settings and shows how
the concept of mindfulness can be beneficial to anyone who
engages in it.
3.3 The History of Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practice that is carried out by various
religions and cultures across the world. In the Eastern world,
mindfulness originally came from Pali, the language of
Buddhist psychology about 2,500 years ago (Germer, 2005).
In Pali, the word for mindfulness is ‘sati’. Sati is the concept
of having awareness, being attentive and remembering
(Germer, 2005). These components of sati are in line with the
Western perspective of mindfulness. The ideas of sati
correspond to the Western idea of being present, aware and
conscious. Bodhi (2011) mentions that while mindfulness is a
concept that has become popular in recent times and seems
like a modern innovation, it dates back 25 centuries ago to the
teachings of the Buddha in India. The Buddha offered these
teachings as a set of principles that would sustain humans
during their pursuit of happiness, prosperity and spiritual
growth. The core aim of the concept of mindfulness was
overcoming suffering and sadness. These teachings spread
across Asia with the Buddhist philosophy, leading the concept
of mindfulness to develop new roots and paths in the different
countries it reached (Bodhi, 2011). Various lines of
mindfulness meditations were established that each had
different approaches, but the core concept remained the same.
Many of these strides of mindfulness were preserved
13
throughout the years in monasteries by monks and nuns who
engaged in a mindful way of life and have made it to present
day practices.
3.4 Mindfulness and Mental Health
The Mental Health Foundation (2019) have said that
mindfulness is a recommended treatment for those suffering
with their mental health as it is a way of improving mental
wellbeing. Buddhist psychology and literature suggests
anxiety can be treated with mindfulness. Buddhist psychology
theories also propose that the main cause of mental suffering
is not seeing or thinking clearly. This implies that it is a
person’s thoughts, unrealistic expectations and general mental
health that may lead to depression or anxiety disorders
(Semple and Lee, 2008). Practicing mindfulness can be a way
of preventing or treating these issues, as it allows the
participant to be aware of thoughts in the present moment and
encourages one to see which thoughts represent reality and
which thoughts do not (Semple and Lee, 2008).
When a person cannot think or see clearly, their mind
becomes cluttered and their mental health may suffer as a
result. This can lead to depression or anxiety. Mindfulness
can be used as a tool to de-clutter the mind, thus preventing
the occurrence of mental illnesses such as depression or
anxiety (Semple and Lee, 2008).
Lopez-Navarro et al., (2015) found that those who suffer from
severe mental illnesses experience high psychological distress
and poor quality of life. People suffering from severe mental
14
illnesses (SMIs) may show continuous psychotic symptoms
and significant lack of social skills or functioning which can
lead to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (Lopez-Navarro et
al., 2015). The American Psychological Association (2009)
states that SMIs can lead to an impairment to a person’s
psychological functioning to such a degree that one’s ability
to perform daily routines or tasks becomes significantly
undermined, with severe and lasting consequences.
Psychosocial rehabilitation, along with pharmacotherapy (the
use of prescribed drugs as a form of therapy), have been used
to address and treat SMIs in recent years (Lopez-Navarro et
al, 2015). However, in recent times, there has been an
increase in the use of mindfulness as a treatment for SMIs.
Lopez- Navarro et al., (2015) found that mindfulness
interventions would be a suitable type of rehabilitation
because of the effectiveness mindfulness has in enhancing the
quality of life for those who partake in mindfulness practices.
Mindfulness-based interventions are thought to decrease
stress through various different techniques and processes and
call for present-centered awareness so that a participant can
accept an experience rather than avoiding it (Lopez-Navarro
et al., 2015). Mindfulness-based interventions have been seen
to improve a person’s mental health as it allows participants
to regain power over their thoughts and beliefs and makes
room for a greater sense of self-control and self-acceptance
(Lopez-Navarro et al., 2015).
15
3.5 Overall benefits of Mindfulness
Studies have been done in recent years to show the benefits of
practicing mindfulness and the positive lasting effects it can
have on a person’s mental health. Although it is hard to find
empirical data to prove the benefits and improvements caused
by mindfulness, many studies show that individuals who
actively take part in mindfulness practices have seen changes
in their personality and mental health.
Alhusen et al (2017) completed a study on the perceived
benefits of mindfulness, with participants saying they found
‘’immediate benefits’’ after taking part in mindfulness and
meditation practices, with one participant explaining that it
changed how she interacted with her children and people
around her in a positive way. Another participant in the study
mentioned that practicing mindfulness allowed her to self-
regulate and led to a decrease in the amount of altercations
she had with others. A very common finding in the study was
that participants said that mindfulness was a way of reducing
stress in their lives and it was found that maintaining
‘’mindful awareness allowed participants to exercise a
choice’’ in how they responded to different situations
(Alhusen et, 2017, pg. 439). Kabat-Zinn, Lipworth and
Burney (1985) also look at the concept of self-regulation and
mindfulness. Through a research study, it was found that
mindfulness meditations enabled a person to self-regulate
their emotions, feelings and behaviors. Overall, this study
found that mindfulness practices also helped to ease chronic
pain, allowed a person to understand their emotions and to
have control and autonomy over their body and emotions.
16
Rodrigeus, Nardi and Levitan (2017) argue that mindfulness
improves a person’s ability to regulate their emotions in times
of stress and this will alleviate depressive symptoms.
Emotional self-regulation allows a person to control their
emotions and behaviors, thus leading to improved moods and
attitudes and gives a person the ability to cope with anxiety
(Rodrigeus, Nardi and Levitan 2017).
17
3.6 Mindfulness Strategies/Techniques
Mindfulness practices can be both physical, such as yoga, and
mental such as meditation. Many practices involve being
mindful through the senses, i.e. being aware of our senses and
feelings during a specific experience. Semple and Lee (2008)
discuss mindfulness of the breath and explain that this
exercise is the initial and most basic practice of mindfulness
processes. Mindfulness breathing consists of sitting
comfortably, closing eyes or having a soft gaze or focus, and
focusing on and controlling the breath in a relaxed manner.
This can have a very relaxing effect on the body and mind and
allows the participant to unwind both mentally and physically.
It gives participants a chance to take some time to assess the
body sensations and emotions they are experiencing in the
present moment (Semple and Lee, 2008).
Mindfulness of the body is also a popular tool to use when
practicing mindfulness. Semple and Lee (2008) mention how
we live our lives focusing on either the past or the present.
Becoming mindful of the body is a way in which we can
ground ourselves in the present moment. Many body
mindfulness techniques are taken from similar strategies in
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction or Mindfulness-Based
Cognitive Therapy (Semple and Lee, 2008). Body
mindfulness allows the participant to focus their attention
inward and be aware of and observe any bodily sensations
they may be feeling. For example, if a participant experiences
an itching sensation during the exercise, they may be asked to
describe the thoughts and feelings they had about the
sensation. A big part of this exercise is to ensure the
18
participant is aware of the feeling or sensation, but not to
allow it to become a distraction. This concept encourages
participants to practice accepting their feelings and having a
non-judgmental attitude towards their feelings, thoughts and
sensations during mindfulness exercises (Semple and Lee,
2008).
Semple and Lee (2008) mention mindful eating, which is
another mindfulness technique that can be a useful tool to
help a participant become mindful and aware in the present
time. Mindful eating is an example of how paying specific
attention, intentionally and without judgement, can change the
quality of an experience. With mindful eating, a participant is
invited to examine a piece of food, focusing on how it looks,
feels, smells and finally tastes. The aim of the exercise is to
‘’enhance experiential understanding of mindfulness’’
(Semple and Lee, p. 78, 2008). Mindful eating also allows
participants to pause and be aware of eating habits and their
feelings about these habits. Once aware of such feelings, one
can weaken the control these thoughts have on eating habits
and think about eating in a non-judgmental way (Headspace,
2019).
3.7 Mindfulness Treatments for Children
There are currently several researchers investigating ways to
establish and ascertain mindfulness in youth (Coyne and
Cheron, 2008). Mindfulness-based assessments and
treatments are being introduced into various clinical settings
around the world. This incorporation has resulted in further
development of additional mindfulness processes which are
19
tailored to meet the specific needs of different populations
such as children in pediatric settings and services (Coyne and
Cheron, 2008). An example of a current mindfulness-based
measure in a pediatric setting is the Diabetes Acceptance and
Action Scale for Children and Adolescents (DAAS; Greco
and Hart 2005). The aim of this assessment is to look into
how psychologically flexible children can be after being
diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. The test looks at constructs
such as acceptance of the diagnosis, (e.g. ‘’It’s OK to feel sad
or afraid about having diabetes’’), and experiential avoidance
(e.g. ‘’I play video games or use the internet to take my mind
off my health’’) (DAAS; Greco and Hart 2005). High scores
on this assessment would indicate high levels of acceptance
and awareness. This assessment is relevant to mindfulness as
it assesses a child’s awareness and emotions during an
experience.
Reports from clinical settings suggest that mindfulness-based
treatments can be a useful tool in treating anxiety disorders in
young children, so it would be reasonable to establish
mindfulness-based interventions for these children. A useful
proposed tool that could be used to promote well-being and
treat mental illnesses is the use of Mindfulness-Based
Cognitive Therapy for Children (MCBT-T) (Semple and Lee,
2008). The overall aim of cognitive therapy as a whole is to
change the way patients view their automatic thoughts and
dysfunctional attitudes (Beck, 1976). Segal, Williams and
Teasdale (2002) suggest that cognitive therapy is effective
because it changes the relationship between the patient and
their thoughts. Cognitive therapy focuses on the concept of
decentering, which is a person’s ability to recognize and
accept that thoughts are just thoughts, rather than facts of
20
reality (Semple and Lee, 2008). Mindfulness-based cognitive
therapy confirms this perspective, as being mindful is being
aware of and recognizing one’s own thoughts in a non-
judgmental way. MBCT-C is a treatment which has been
developed as an aid to prevent depressive relapse and is
largely based on Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress
Reduction (1994) programme. MBCT-C teaches children that
catastrophic scenarios that they make up in their heads only
worsen their anxiety levels. Children learn that their thoughts
about a certain experience may not be a direct or accurate
reflection about what the situation really is. Through MBCT-
C, children learn that judgmental thinking ‘’increases the
discomfort of a challenging experience’’ (Semple and Lee,
2008). MBCT-C has also been found to reduce attention
problems in children, thus lessening occurrence of Attention
Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
(Achenbach, 1991). This mindfulness therapy allows children
to develop an awareness of how they have the ability to
transform their everyday experiences by being mindful and
having an awareness of their thoughts.
Through a study on mindfulness-based therapies, Hofmann et
al., (2010) found that mindfulness had major positive impacts
on moods, levels of anxiety and symptoms of mental health
issues in children. Results of this study show that
mindfulness, when used within clinical settings, can be a
promising intervention for treating anxiety and mood
disorders (Hofmann et al., 2010). Byrne (2017) mentions that
when mindfulness programmes are delivered effectively in
school settings, schools can only thrive from the results.
When teachers are fully engrossed in delivering mindfulness
programmes and they understand the importance and benefits
21
of mindfulness, it is ensured that children will reap the full
benefits of mindfulness. This will allow both ‘'staff and young
people to flourish’’ (Byrne, 2017, pg. 2).
3.8 Critiques of Mindfulness
Chiesa (2013) argues that mindfulness may not be all it has
been said to be in recent years. Attempts to define and
operationalize the concept of mindfulness have consistently
failed (Chiesa, 2013). This leads to the belief that mindfulness
may not be a reliable concept or practice due to the lack of
supporting scientific evidence.
In addition to this, Lamothe et al. (2015) found that it is
difficult if not impossible to measure the effect or potential
benefits mindfulness-based interventions can have on clients,
which means there is no evidence to support the claim that
practicing mindfulness has a positive effect on a person’s
mental health. It has also been found that results from studies
may not be reliable due to the fact that there are no specific
training guidelines for professionals who deliver mindfulness
programmes. Lamothe et al. (2015) discusses the fact that
there is no degree or qualification needed to deliver
mindfulness promgrammes. This makes researchers question
the validity of mindfulness, as specific teaching skills should
be essential to guarantee a standardized level of delivery of
programmes.
22
Yorston (2001) mentioned three cases where meditation and
mindfulness practices were thought to be the onset of
psychotic illnesses. It was found that mindfulness caused
states of mania and altered states of consciousness. Thapa and
Murtha (1985) also looked at the correlation between complex
seizures or cases of schizophrenia in patients that came from
ashrams where mindfulness was being practiced.
These critiques report issues that suggest that mindfulness can
have negative implications on health as opposed to its
proposed benefits. This would call for further research into
the area of mindfulness and meditation as tools for treatments
or preventions of certain mental illnesses (Yorston, 2001).
3.9 Summary of Literature Review
The review of current literature around mindfulness has
shown that it can be a very beneficial concept to those who
practice it. It provides a calming awareness of one’s thoughts
and feelings. Many studies have been conducted in recent
years that investigated if mindfulness-based strategies can be
used as treatments for mental health issues and although the
effects of mindfulness cannot be measured, there is a strong
correlation between mindfulness treatments and
improvements in a person’s mental state.
23
Chapter 4 – Methodology
4.1 Introduction
Chapter three explored the literature already available about
various aspects to Mindfulness. This chapter is going to
explore and describe the research methodology and
procedures that were used while carrying out this research.
Collection of data, issues, data analysis and ethical
considerations will also be discussed. The researcher took a
phenomenological approach by carrying out interviews, as it
was felt that this would be the best way to gather information
from the participants of the study.
O’Leary (2004) looks at phenomenological research and
explains how it examines a person’s experiences in order to
better understand the topic that is being investigated. First, the
researcher contacted the principal of a local school and asked
if some teachers would be willing to take part in the research
project. Once the plan for the research was discussed further
with the principal, the researcher carried out interviews with
teachers in the school who regularly practiced mindfulness
with children and their parents. This was a relevant group of
people to interview as teachers would have a strong insight
into the impact mindfulness would have on the children.
24
4.2 Qualitative Research
Qualitative research allows the researcher to explore the
‘’behaviors, perspectives, feelings and experiences, and the
quality and complexity of a situation through a holistic
framework’’ (Holloway and Wheeler, pg. 176, 2013). This
type of research is conducted when a researcher begins with
an existing belief or theory and tests for confirmation of this
theory through data collection (Newman and Benz, 1998).
The researcher wanted to ensure that only relevant data was
collected; Data that was rich in information for this research
project. Rich information was vital in this research project to
ensure in-depth information wad collected. Seidman (2006)
argues that qualitative research is the best way to gather
answers that are rich in information. Alveeson and Skoldberg
(2009) indicate that qualitative research allows for a naturalist
approach so that there is no sense of falseness when collecting
data.
4.3 Procedure
When it came to conducting the research, the researcher
contacted the principal of the school asking for permission for
some teachers to participate in the research study (See
Appendix 1). The researcher explained the background to the
research project and mentioned that any information about
participants would always be kept strictly confidential. The
researcher also indicated that a list of the questions would be
provided just before the interviews were to commence.
25
4.4 Participants
For the interview, the researcher decided to carry out semi-
structured interviews. It was decided that the teachers from a
primary school in Limerick City would participate in the
study. The participants were picked at random to ensure
diversity for the interviews. Each participant had worked in
the school for over three years and the participants practiced
mindfulness in their own personal lives. Each participant had
at least twelve children in their classroom who were engaging
with mindfulness practices and activities. All teachers showed
an interest in this topic and were very easy going and honest
about their experiences, which helped the conversation to
flow during the interviews.
Participant Age Gender Years
Teaching
Practicing
Mindfulness?
1 29 Female 7 Yes
2 31 Female 9 Yes
3 32 Female 8 Yes
4 45 Female 16 Yes
5 36 Male 12 Yes
6 41 Female 19 Yes
Table 1: Participant information
26
4.5 Measures
4.5.1 Research Instrument
The research instruments used during this research study were
semi-structured interview schedules. The researcher believed
this was the preferred method to a questionnaire as it was a
more personal and detailed way of obtaining data.
4.5.2 Semi-structured Interviews
It was thought that semi-structured interviews were the best
type of interviews to conduct due to the fact that semi-
structured interviews ‘’allow the researcher to gain an insight
into the interviewee’s experiences and understandings’’’
(Matthew and Ross, 2010, p.89). Open-ended questions that
are planned and scheduled give an insight into a person’s
views. In this case, semi-structured interviews revealed the
teachers’ opinions and attitudes towards mindfulness for
children.
Semi-structured interviews are a good way of getting answers
that are rich in information. These types of interviews are not
ridged, which allows other questions to arise during the
interviews which may be beneficial to the researcher. Most
questions that are asked are in order, but semi-structured
interviews allow space and flexibility for other questions,
depending on how the conversation is flowing (Longhurst,
2009).
Hay (2005) argues that conducting these types of interviews
can fill in gaps which other research methods cannot,
investigate complex emotions or behaviors and empowers a
27
person to share their values and their point of view (See
Appendix 4 for Interview Questions).
4.6 Data Analysis – Thematic Analysis
After the interviews, the data that was collected was analyzed
through Thematic Analysis. This type of analysis is the
‘’process of identifying patterns or themes within qualitative
data’’ (Maguire and Delahunt, p.54, 2017). The researcher
believed that using thematic analysis was the best way to
analyze the data that had been collected as it would highlight
the most common themes that arose in the interviews. The
thematic analysis of the data showed the similarities and
differences between each of the participant’s views and
beliefs around the topic of mindfulness for children.
Thematic analysis of data consists of six stages;
Familiarization of the data collected, transcribing the
interviews, generating codes for each theme, reviewing the
themes, defining each theme and generating a final overall
report of the data collected (Bryman, 2008).
Familiarization with the data is the first stage of the thematic
analysis of data. It allows the researcher to become familiar
with the data that was obtained during the interview process.
Transcription of data, the second stage, is when the audio-
recorded data that was collected is transcribed. This helps the
researcher to pay close attention to the interviewee’s personal
experiences and beliefs/opinions on the research topic.
28
The third stage of thematic analysis is Coding. This is going
through the interview transcripts and picking out the key parts
of interviews which are the most relevant and useful in
relation to the research being carried out. In this stage,
common themes are established from the key pieces of data
that were identified.
Reviewing the themes is the fourth stage of thematic analysis.
In this stage, the themes are organized and refined. This stage
will identify any contradictions or overlapping themes.
Reviewing themes allows the researcher to change or develop
the themes until each theme is coherent and distinctive (Braun
and Clarke, 2006).
In the fifth stage, each theme is Named and Defined. Here the
themes are named and described in detail and related back and
linked to the research. Why each theme is relevant to the
research is also reviewed.
The final stage of thematic analysis is producing a Final
Report. After the themes are reviewed, the researcher
evaluates the quality of each theme and decides which themes
have the most relevant contributions and which themes have
can answer the research question.
The overall aim of thematic analysis is to relay the data in a
manner that persuades readers of the strength and validity of
the data obtained (Boyatzis, 1998).
29
4.7 Informed Consent and Ethical Considerations
Ethical Approval was granted by the ethics committee of
Limerick Institute of Technology (See Appendix 5). There did
not appear to be any ethical issues as the participants were not
part of a vulnerable population as they were educated,
working professionals. Each participant was given an
Information Letter (See Appendix 2) and required to sign a
Consent Form (See Appendix 3) prior to taking part in any
interviews and this would ensure an informed consent. The
Consent Form gave participants all the information about their
rights within this research project and about what the
interview would entail. It was made clear that the participants
could withdraw from the study at any time.
Confidentiality was a major priority for the researcher when
conducting interviews. To ensure anonymity, the researcher
numbered participants from 1 to 6 which would be used in the
research project. Kimmel (1988) discusses that it is the
responsibility of the researcher to ensure confidentiality and
anonymity when discussing information that has been
provided by participants.
4.8 Limitations of Research
Atieno (2009) argues that ambiguities, which are inevitable in
the human language, can arise in qualitative methods. In some
cases, when transcribing the interviews, the researcher found
that there could be more than one interpretation for something
30
that was said. This could have led to inexactness in some of
the findings.
4.9 Conclusion
In this chapter, the researcher outlined the research
methodology that was followed in this study. It showed the
usefulness semi-structured interviews as a technique to allow
a flexible conversation and a way of collecting data that was
rich in information. The type of data analysis used was
outlined, and the methods of analysis were described. The
importance and advantages of each stage of thematic analysis
were also outlined. This chapter also included the ethical
guidelines that were followed throughout the study in order to
remain professional and competent. In the next chapter, the
findings and discussions of data will be presented.
31
Chapter 5 – Results and Discussion
This chapter will discuss the findings of the semi-structured
interviews that were carried out with teachers of mindfulness.
It will look at each teacher’s perspective and beliefs around
mindfulness and the benefits mindfulness can potentially have
on a child’s wellbeing.
Through the use of thematic analysis, five key themes were
identified. The main themes that emerged were:
1. Mindfulness helps with self-regulation of emotions
2. Children’s self-directed and independent use of
mindfulness
3. Mindfulness can be a tool for treating or coping with
mental health issues
4. Mindfulness helps children’s recognition and
acceptance of emotions
5. Capability of teachers
5.1 Theme 1: Mindfulness helps with self-regulation
of emotions
Throughout the interview process, each person being
interviewed mentioned the fact that mindfulness helped a
child to regulate their emotions and their behavior. Self-
regulation is a very important skill to master, especially for
children, as it enables a child to cope with an adverse or
chaotic situation. This fosters resilience in a child and
32
encourages personal growth (Weidner, Sieverding &
Chesney, 2016). Self-regulation allows a child to cope with
feelings or emotions so that these emotions do not overwhelm
the child. This enables a child to turn their attention towards
controlling their behavior and working towards their goals
(Rosanbalm and Murray, 2018).
The concept of self-regulation of emotions and behaviors was
mentioned by every participant in this study. Each explained
how children, through mindfulness, were able to cope with
their emotions and, if in cases of anxiety or hyper-activity,
mindfulness was a tool to re-center the self and allow for
calmness and clarity.
‘’Mindfulness gives the child or a child a way to regulate, to
regulate themselves, their emotions, their breathing, and to
just pause’’
(Participant 1)
‘’I would think that it's just another tool to help them to
regulate their behavior, their emotions and their lives’’
(Participant 2)
‘’When they are on stage, their mindfulness activities help
them all to have confidence and lessen their nerves. It got
them out there. On the soccer field mindfulness helps them to
calm down. They are using it and it does work.’’
(Participant 3)
‘’It’s one tool that can certainly help to regulate or cope with
anxious feelings or emotions’’
(Participant 4)
33
‘’They can use these skills in the future when they don’t have
the teacher to help to regulate feelings of anxiousness or
sadness or anger whatever it may be’’
(Participant 5)
‘’Children are quite good at living in the present moment
anyway. Mindfulness is just a tool to help them to be able to
regulate any if not all of their emotions’’
(Participant 6)
Each participant touched on the topic of self-regulation at
some point throughout the interview process despite the fact
that it was not a direct question. The researcher felt this was
clearly an important aspect to mindfulness as it helps a child
to recognize an emotion and have control and autonomy over
this emotion. Alhusen et al (2017), which was discussed in
Chapter 3, touched on the subject of self-regulation,
emphasizing its importance in a child's life. The opinions of
the participants correlate to the findings in Alhusen et al
(2017), proving that mindfulness can encourage and
strengthen a child’s ability to cope with their emotions and
regulate their emotions, thus lessening the risk or burnout or
occurrence of anxiety in a child.
Rodrigeus, Nardi and Levitan (2017) as mentioned in Chapter
3, discussed how mindfulness improves one’s ability to
regulate their emotions and behaviors and gives a person
control over their body, feelings and reactions. The interview
participants touched on this idea during the interviews,
mentioning that children use mindfulness to assess their
feelings before they reach boiling point.
34
‘’It allows a child to have control over an emotion. So, they
see that anger is bubbling up inside, and they are able to
control it before, maybe, throwing a toy across a room.
Mindfulness can be a source of peacefulness because it helps
them relax and refocus themselves’’
(Participant 1)
These outlooks show that mindfulness can allow a child to
identify an emotion and have control over it before it leads to
an adverse situation. This was also identified in Chapter 3
when Alhusen et al., (2017) found that when people regularly
engaged in mindfulness practices, it led to a decrease in the
amount of altercations they had with others as it changed how
they responded to certain situations. The researcher believed
that this was an important concept to emphasize as it is a clear
example of how mindfulness can promote a child’s emotional
well-being.
5.2 Theme 2: Children’s self-directed and
independent use of mindfulness in stressful situations
Most of the participants mentioned the fact that it was
important that the children became familiar and comfortable
with mindfulness, so that they could practice it without the
help of teachers when they needed it most. It was important to
each participant that the children in their classes understood
that mindfulness can be used in any situation. Each participant
talked about the enjoyment and appreciation the children had
for mindfulness and how they had each witnessed a child use
35
their mindfulness skills in times of anxiety, stress or when
they feel under pressure.
‘’If you ask any child in this school, what would you do if
you're feeling angry upset, any upsetting emotion, they will
know and live by take a deep breath, give myself a pause
moment and do a meditation. It's fascinating’’
(Participant 1)
‘’The children are teaching their parents about mindfulness.
It’s amazing what they have learned. I’ve had parents tell me
that their child will sit down when they are upset, without
encouragement or direction, and practice their mindful
breaths or their finger breaths’’
(Participant 4)
‘’It’s self-directed. They can choose how much or how little
they want to engage in it. I see kids using it in the yard at
playtime or during P.E. when they notice themselves that they
need to take a step back’’
(Participant 5)
These beliefs show that children are intentionally using
mindfulness to bring a state of calmness and peacefulness to
their lives. This reflects with Kabat-Zinn's (1994) ideas,
which were discussed in Chapter 3, stating that in order to
reach a mindful state, mindfulness needs to be an intentional
choice.
Participants relayed the fact that the mindfulness programme
in the school is really getting through to the children and the
children understand the fact that it can be a way of becoming
36
self-aware and assessing emotions and feelings in a stressful
situation.
’I’ve had a few kids tell me that they use their mindfulness at
home when they might be fighting with siblings or other
children in the area. Hearing that gives me such a sense of
encouragement to continue with the course because the kids
are interested, and they do get something good from it’’
(Participant 2)
This quote showed the researcher that the children in the
school are using mindfulness practices outside of the
classroom, proving that the children understand that
mindfulness can be used as a coping mechanism, as a way to
assess their emotions and as a way to self-regulate emotions
and behavior. As mentioned in Chapter 3, Rodrigeus, Nardi
and Levitan (2017) mentioned that the use of mindfulness can
alleviate feelings of stress in chaotic situations. The answers
from participants corroborate with this belief, as it shows how
children can use mindfulness practices in adverse situations to
find clarity and calmness.
5.3 Theme 3: Mindfulness may not prevent mental
illnesses, but perhaps it can be a tool to treat mental
health issues
In Chapter 3, it was found that The Mental Health Foundation
(2019) recommended the concept of mindfulness as a
treatment for patients suffering with mental health issues such
as anxiety and depression. Semple and Lee (2008) mention
37
that normal anxiety can easily spiral out of control and lead to
depressive disorders. However, if a child can become mindful
and give mindful attention to the present moment and their
feelings, this may prevent lack of control over emotions and
behaviors. As previously mentioned in Chapter 3, Semple and
Lee (2008) found that Mindfulness Based Therapy is a major
aid in treating anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses,
while also promoting a child’s well-being. These outlooks are
mirrored in the participant’s opinions and beliefs:
‘’I have worked with children who we’ve had concerns about
regarding ADD or ADHD, and through mindfulness we can
actually see huge benefits to just being still and increasing
their focus and concentration. It helps structures a child’s day
in terms of being present’’
(Participant 1)
‘’Mindfulness is a helpful way to screen. It helps us to
see if a child can be still for a certain amount of time. It gives
a child autonomy over their own body, themselves and being
able to regulate. So, I suppose that can be a way of treating
concentration disorders like ADD’’
(Participant 4)
‘’Mindfulness can definitely help ease the symptoms I
suppose of mental health issues. My outlook is that it helps
with feelings of anxiousness. I wouldn’t recommend it as a
lone solution, but I do think it can be a powerful aid to help
with anxiety or depression’’
(Participant 6)
38
Broderick (2005) mentions how mindfulness meditations have
been seen to improve the concentration and attention levels of
students who would usually struggle with staying on task. The
findings from the interviews carried out by the researcher
correlate with this belief. The researcher also found that the
participants spoke about attention deficit disorders such as
ADD or ADHD, mentioning how mindfulness practices
improve a child’s attention and their ability to focus. As
mentioned in Chapter 3, Achenbach (1991) discusses how
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children allowed
for significant reductions in issues regarding attention and
focusing. These ideas prove that mindfulness practices can be
an aid to treating or coping with health issues such as
Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive
Disorder.
Some of the interview participants mentioned the fact that
children can get bogged down with the stresses of everyday
life; Schoolwork, technology, family issues and keeping up
with friends and peers. It was a common belief among the
participants that when children use mindfulness, they become
less anxious about everyday stress. This lessens the risk of a
child falling into an anxiety or depressive disorder. This idea
correlates to what was mentioned in Chapter 3; Mindfulness
practices can almost be treatments for anxiety or stress, as it
brings a child’s attention and awareness back to the present
moment, which can aid the treatment of mental illnesses
(Semple and Lee, 2008).
39
5.4 Theme 4: Mindfulness helps children's
recognition and acceptance of emotions
When each participant was asked if mindfulness practices
helped improved the moods and behaviors of children, each
participant had a very common response. Each specified that
the aim of mindfulness was not to make the participant a
happy person, it was in fact about recognizing an emotion and
being able to accept that emotion. In Chapter 3, it was
mentioned that Semple and Lee (2008) discussed decentering
in relation to mindfulness treatments and how it can help a
child to recognize their emotions and cope with them in a
non-judgmental way.
‘’After practicing their mindfulness, they were calm. They
were tired, but because of mindfulness they were able to feel
that and recognize that feel, and know that it’s normal to feel
that way, Mindfulness allows the kids to understand their
emotions’’
(Participant 3)
Chapter 3 identified the idea of accepting emotions and re-
gaining control over thoughts and beliefs and how this can be
done through mindfulness (Lopez-Navarro et al., 2015). This
means that mindfulness allows a person to understand their
thoughts and emotions in more depth in an open and non-
judgmental way. The non-judgmental perspective towards
emotions and thoughts leads to self-acceptance which leaves
little or no room for negative self-talk or self-doubt. The
researcher saw this idea occurring throughout the interview
process where participants mentioned how mindfulness
40
helped the children to understand their feelings and realize
that these emotions are normal.
‘’I’m sad to say that in recent years, I’ve seen here in this
school with younger kids saying, ‘I don’t like myself’ ‘I hate
myself’, just general negative self-talk. Or they are very low
and depressed almost. So, I suppose mindfulness for us
teachers is one way to help children to come to the realization
of their emotions and helps them to be in tune with their
thoughts and feelings. They understand that it's okay to be
sad, angry, stressed or lonely, whatever it may be’’
(Participant 2)
This quote shows that children use mindfulness to cope with
low self-esteem and it helps them to overcome negative
beliefs about the self. Mindfulness can be used as a tool for
acceptance and understanding of emotions. As discussed in
Chapter 3, mindfulness practices help a person to
acknowledge their emotions as opposed to avoiding them
(Coyne and Cheron, 2008). Teachers who were interviewed
for this research collectively reported that as a result of
mindfulness practices, children are better able to identify and
understand their emotions and they are teaching themselves to
accept their feelings in a non-judgmental manner.
5.5 Theme 5: Capability of teachers
Throughout each interview, it was a common conception that
teachers believed they had to embody and practice
mindfulness in their personal lives in order to effectively
deliver a mindfulness progamme that would positively impact
41
on children in their classrooms. It was the opinion of
participants that if a teacher did not believe in or support the
concept of mindfulness, the children would fully not
experience the real benefits of mindfulness. Each participant
spoke about the fact that mindfulness is practice that needs to
be an intention, which also links back to Theme 2. All
participants mentioned that they practice mindfulness in their
personal lives, and they spoke about the benefits they find
from using it. Each participant emphasized the fact that it was
necessary for them to understand and have experience with
mindfulness in order to teach it efficiently to the children in
their classrooms.
‘’In order to teach mindfulness, you need to be
embodying it and you need to be practicing it’’
(Participant 1)
‘’It's evident in the way I am, I can't expect a child to
be able to sit still for six minutes if I'm in the corner
fidgeting’’
(Participant 3)
It was evident that each teacher took a massive interest in the
subject of mindfulness and this meant the children were at a
massive advantage as the mindfulness programmes were
being delivered by capable people who understood the
concept. This ties in with Byrne’s (2017) ideas which were
outlined in Chapter 3; When teachers deliver mindfulness
programmes in an effective and efficient way, the children
will flourish (Byrne, 2017).The primary school that took part
in this research project emphasized the importance of a
42
school-wide approach and aimed to ensure that effective and
proactive activities were being carried out.
‘’This is the first school that I’ve come across that has such a
high level of mindfulness. We really are in a unique position
as a staff and as a school’’
(Participant 1)
‘’It’s massive here. It is a very popular topic of conversation
in the staffroom. We feel so strongly about it that we’re
actually now discussing as a staff if we should have a block of
time every day or every week where the whole school stops
and does mindfulness together. And that’s a huge dedication,
when you take a school wide approach’’
(Participant 2)
‘’When we started, some staff could not come round to the
idea of it, they actually avoided it. But now every time we
have staff mindfulness training, we have a full house. It’s
amazing. We are all so engaged as a staff’’
(Participant 4)
These quotes show that teachers have a deep interest in the
topic and that they are happy to have a whole school approach
to practicing mindfulness.
5.6 Summary of Results and Discussion
This study explored the opinions and perspectives of multiple
teachers around the topic of mindfulness and the benefits it
can have for children. Interviews provided a great insight into
43
teachers’ opinions and highlighted the most important and
valuable aspects of mindfulness. The researcher obtained
answers that were rich in data which was relevant and
applicable to this research. Through the thematic analysis of
the data collected during the interview process, the researcher
identified five key themes. These themes were children’s
ability to self-regulate after practicing mindfulness, children’s
self-directed and independent use of mindfulness,
mindfulness may not prevent mental illnesses, but perhaps it
can be a tool to treat mental health issues, mindfulness helps
children’s recognition and acceptance of emotions and
capability of teachers to deliver mindfulness programmes.
The researcher then noticed that the themes linked back to the
literature review and saw a connection between the answers
of the interviews and the information already available about
mindfulness. Overall, the researcher found that the
participants of this research believe that mindfulness is useful
and reliable tool to promote a child’s well-being and enhance
their mental health.
While the research portrayed the strengths and benefits of
practicing mindfulness with children, it also highlighted areas
where there could be further improvement in mindfulness
programmes. The next chapter will offer recommendations on
how to improve or develop mindfulness programmes, while
also covering the conclusion of the research.
44
Chapter 6 – Conclusions and
Recommendations
6.1 Conclusion
This research project has explored teachers’ perspectives of
the strengths and benefits of using mindfulness practices to
promote the well-being of children. It was discovered through
qualitative methods that teachers believed that Mindfulness
practices were a good way to encourage personal
development in children, while also allowing for self-
acceptance, relaxing children, fostering resilience and
encouraged children to have a positive outlook on themselves
and their lives. All participants agreed that practicing
mindfulness consistently and on a regular basis can enhance
the mental health and well-being of children.
6.2 Recommendations
The findings of this research, which were mostly positive,
show that mindfulness is an extremely beneficial tool for
promoting the mental health and well-being of children. The
researcher found, through the review of existing literature and
through the interview process, that mindfulness is not by any
means a universally used method to help children to
understand and accept their emotions. Throughout this
section, the researcher will offer recommendations in the hope
45
of highlighting and promoting the concept of mindfulness as a
tool to improve a child’s mental health and well-being.
Further the current available literature on mindfulness by
carrying out research through interviews, focus groups and
questionnaires. The aim of the research would be to
understand mindfulness in more depth and attempt to collect
empirical data and statistics about mindfulness as there is very
little statistical evidence on the topic. This will help to
professionalize and popularize the concept of mindfulness.
Provide training to professionals about different aspects of
mindfulness; How to deliver mindfulness programmes, how
to tailor it based on the student group and how to deal with
any challenges that may arise. This training would be
necessary for teachers, social care workers and other health
sector employees.
Roll out mandatory mindfulness classes in primary and post-
primary schools across the country. These classes will give
children time for reflection, relaxation and re-centering during
school time, which will decrease stress and anxiety levels in
students.
Provide optional Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses
free of charge in all third level institutions and universities in
Ireland.
Professionalize the concept of mindfulness by forming a
qualification on the topic through Quality and Qualifications
Ireland (QQI). This way, teachers of mindfulness will all have
a high level of understanding of the topic, ensuring efficient
delivery of programmes and courses about mindfulness.
The researcher believes these recommendations are relevant
and important, as they will strive to make mindfulness a
46
professional concept that practitioners and teachers can use to
promote the mental health of children and students.
47
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Chapter 8 – Appendices
Appendix 1: Letter to Principal
Mr. Tiernan O’Neill
Corpus Christi National School
Moyross,
Limerick
Dear Mr. O’Neill,
My name is Eva Curtin. I am a 4th Year Social Care Student in
Limerick Institute of Technology. As part of my final year, I
am required to conduct a Research Project. In this research
project, I am investigating the potential benefits that
Mindfulness can have on children’s mental health and well-
being.
Having attended your school in previous years through my
college placement, I am aware that Corpus Christi teachers
and students engage in Mindfulness activities. I would like to
ask for the opportunity to sit down with some of the teachers
in the school and conduct reordered interviews to collect data
about their thoughts around mindfulness for this Research
Project.
I will call you in the coming days to discuss this further.
Warm regards,
Eva Curtin
55
Appendix 2: Information Letter for Participants
Dear Participant,
My name is Eva Curtin and I am currently in my final year of
college studying a BA in Social Care Work in Limerick
Institute of Technology. As part of my final year, I am
required to complete a research dissertation. My chosen topic
for research is Teachers’ Perspectives on the Benefits of
Using Mindfulness to Promote the Well-Being of Children’’.
I would be extremely grateful if you would be willing to
participate in this interview. The interview will take
approximately 10 minutes to complete. Involvement in this
study is completely voluntary and you may withdraw at any
stage without consequences. All information will be fully
confidential, and no names will be used throughout the study
for your protection. Any identifying features will be changed.
If you would like to participate in this study, please sign the
following consent form. If you would like any further
information about this research, please contact me on
0852436581 or email K00209912@student.lit.ie.
Furthermore, you can also contact my supervisor Frank
Houghton at Frank.Houghton@lit.ie.
Kindest Regards,
Eva Curtin
56
Appendix 3: Consent Form
Title: ‘’Teacher’s Perceptions of the Strengths and Benefits
of using Mindfulness to Promote Wellbeing n Children’’
I ________________________ have agreed to take part in the
above research project.
I understand that I will be participating in a 20-minute
interview with Eva Curtin
I understand that this interview will be audio recorded and the
interview will be kept to transcribe.
My participation is voluntary, and I am aware that I have the
right to withdraw from this project at any time.
I understand that I have a 2-week period to change the
information that I gave during the interview.
I am permitted to view the research being carried out and the
transcripts of the interviews. I can ask for a copy of the
research if I wish.
All information gathered will be confidential and only used
for the purpose of this research.
I agree that direct quotes may be used for the purpose of this
research.
Signed:
Date:
57
Appendix 4: Interview Questions
How long have you been teaching?
Where did you go to college/do your training?
What does Mindfulness mean to you?
When did you first become familiar with the concept of
Mindfulness?
Have you ever practiced mindfulness yourself? If not, do you
think it would be beneficial?
The children who attend in Corpus Christi primary school
engage in Mindfulness exercises and practices. Do you think
these practices are beneficial?
Have you seen a change in behavior or attitudes of the
children who engage in Mindfulness activities since they
started?
Are there any negative/downsides/dangers of practicing
Mindfulness?
Is there any room for development/improvements in the way
this school runs its Mindfulness programme?
Do you think engaging in Mindfulness activities helps the
students to be more present or attentive during class times?
Have you seen an improvement in moods of children who
take part in Mindfulness activities?
Do you think Mindfulness is a good way to promote self-
care?
Are you familiar with Mindfulness-Based Interventions or
Treatments?
Do you think the use of Mindfulness can be an aid in
treatment or prevention of mental health illnesses such as
depression, anxiety, ADHD and other illnesses?
58
Do you think that mindfulness is just the latest craze that
people will eventually tire of?
Do you have any other Mindfulness related comments?
Appendix 5: Ethical Approval Form
Your Name: Eva Curtin
Your Project Title: Teachers’ Perspectives on the Benefits
of Using Mindfulness to Promote the Well-Being and
Mental Health of Children
Method of data collection: Interview
Number of participants: 6
Q: Does your proposed research need initial clearance from
a ‘gatekeeper’ (e.g. Local Authority, head teacher, college
head, nursery/playgroup manager)? Have you indicated
how you will negotiate this in your proposal? Please give
details of any gatekeepers –
A: Yes. I will contact the principal of the school via written
letter explaining the research information and ask for teachers
in the school to participate in the research project.
Q: Does your proposed research involve work with
‘vulnerable’ populations? Please explain your answer:
A: No. I intend to interview teachers who will be working
professionals. The topic of mindfulness is not one that would
trigger many people so the participants would not be put in a
vulnerable position at any stage.
Q: Please indicate how informed consent will be
obtained from your participants? Your consent
letters/forms must inform participants that they have
the right to withdraw from the study at any time. How
will you do this?
59
A: I will provide an information letter and consent form to
each participant prior to conducting the interview. These
letters will include all information about the interviews
from confidentiality to how the data will be recorded on a
password protected device and later erased. I will also
mention that if any participant wants to withdraw from the
study after the interviews take place, they have the right to
do so. I will advise that if this is the case, they can contact
me with my previously given contact details.
Q: Please explain your debriefing procedures:
A: I will follow up with the school a week after the
interviews take place thanking them for their participation.
I will ask if each participant is okay after the interview and
make sure they do not want to change any information that
was given. I will remind them that they still have the option
to withdraw from the study if they need to.
Q: Are you proposing to collect video and/or audio
data? If so, please explain how you will protect
participants’ anonymity and confidentiality and how
you will store the data?
A: I will be audio recording the interviews on a mobile
device. I will not mention the participants name
throughout the interview to ensure that their identity is
protected. The data will be stored on the device for the
duration of the research project. This device is password
protected and only reachable by me. The data will be
deleted once the research is complete.
Q: Does your proposal indicate how you will give
your participants the opportunity to access the
outcomes of your research (including audio/visual
materials) after they have provided data? Please
60
explain your answer:
A: Yes. I will explain to the participants that if they
would like a copy of the finalized research piece they can
contact me or my supervisor for this information.
Q: Have you built in time for a pilot study to make
sure that any task materials you propose to use are
appropriate and that they are unlikely to cause
offence to any of your participants? Explain your
answer:
A: Yes, I will conduct pilot interviews with 3 people who
are also studying Social Care. I will ask these people for
feedback on the questions being asked and on the manner
in which the questions are asked. Based on the feedback,
I will decide if the interview process/questions need to be
modified
Q: Is your research likely to involve discussion of
sensitive topics (e.g. adult/child relationships, peer
relationships, discussions about personal teaching
styles, ability levels of individual children and/or
adults)? What safeguards have you put in place to
protect participants’ confidentiality?
A: Yes, I will be asking about the performance and
behaviour of children within a classroom and how they
act after practicing mindfulness. I will again ensure
that no names are mentioned throughout the interview
process. I will also not mention the name of the school
that I am interviewing in to ensure participants cannot
be identified.
Q: Does you proposed research raise any issues of
personal safety for yourself or other persons
involved in the project? How do you propose to
61
ensure your own safety and that of your
participants?
A: No, there do not seem to be any safety issues for
myself or the participants. I will ensure that interviews
take place in a safe and open environment when both
myself and the participants are comfortable.
Q: Have you ensured (in your consent form) that
participants are aware of who they should contact
in the event that they have a complaint? Explain:
A: Yes. I have given contact details for my research
supervisor.
Q: Do you have the name of an appropriate mental
health professional or organisation available in the
event that a participant becomes distressed as a
result of participation in the research process and
needs to access support?
A: No
Q: Have you attached a copy of any stimulus
materials e.g. questionnaires / interview schedule
etc.?
A: No
62
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