The measurement of quality in early childhood education considers factors related to structure and process. Structure-related factors refer to minimum conditions such as supplies, infrastructure, and the adult/child ratio. Process-related factors refer to teacher-child interactions where learning takes place and for which teachers’ sensitivity and socioemotional skills are essential (1) (2) (3) (4) (5). Teachers who are aware of and receptive to children’s signals regarding both their emotional and cognitive needs can provide better quality interactions favoring the development of the children under their care. One factor that can significantly affect process-related factors is the teacher's mental health and well-being. Evidence shows that teaching is a highly stressful occupation (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (5) (11) (12) (13) (14). Work stress not only affects the physical and mental health of the teacher, but symptoms of burnout, such as irritability, discouragement and hyperreactivity to stress, represent serious interference in the teacher-student relationship and therefore affect the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process (15). An unmotivated and irritated teacher who is working with great emotional distance, trying to mitigate the negative effects she perceives her work is having on her emotional well-being, can generate a very negative impact on interactions in the classroom (16). Therefore, the relevance of promoting teachers’ mental health and well-being is warranted. According to Schonert-Reichl (5), teachers’ mental health and well-being, because of its impact on children, should be a part of teacher preparation and professional development.
Mindfulness has been widely used as an evidence-based practice for approaching these issues. Empirical studies show that the benefits of mindfulness are abundant, including reducing stress, increasing positive emotions, and improving quality of life. Meta-analytical studies report significant results in reducing depression and anxiety, with effect sizes ranging from medium to large (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22). At the interpersonal level, improvements are observed in the quality of interpersonal relationships and intimacy (23), identification and communication of emotions, anger management, and empathy (24). Finally, at the cerebral level, effects of mindfulness-based interventions have been found in areas of the brain associated with the experience of positive emotions (25) and with empathy and theory of mind (26). Structural brain changes have been found in areas associated with learning and memory processes, emotional regulation, self-referential processing, and perspective taking after participating in a mindfulness-based intervention (MBSR) (27). In terms of neuroendocrine responses, Brown, Weinstein, and Creswell (28) found that individuals who had higher levels of mindfulness also had lower levels of cortisol and perceived stress.
Considering the abundant evidence regarding the effects of mindfulness on stress reduction, well-being, emotional regulation, health, and prosocial dispositions (18) (19) (17) (20) (21) there has been an increased interest in developing adaptations of mindfulness programs for the school context. For example, helping teachers cultivate mental habits would help them be better prepared for job-related demands and stressors. It has been proposed that training teachers in mindfulness would help to strengthen their resilience and prevent burnout (29) (30). Additionally, they can transmit this tool to their students either by modeling attitudes and behaviors that embody mindfulness and/or through direct instruction of mindfulness practices directed to the children. Evidence shows that mindfulness helps to promote the development of children’s executive functions and the self-regulation of emotions and impulses (29). The ability to regulate attention and emotions provides a basis for school readiness, as it enhances dispositions that are conducive to learning and that promote positive interpersonal relationships (31). Longitudinal studies show that self-regulation in childhood is a key predictor of health, financial stability, and educational achievement in adulthood (32). Therefore, implementing mindfulness in educational contexts would be positive for both children and teachers, together with the educational community.
Most studies regarding mindfulness in education assess the results of mindfulness-based interventions directed either to teachers or students and find significant effects on several measures. For instance, a meta-analysis that reviewed 24 studies evaluating mindfulness in the school context found effect sizes (Hedge's g) of 0.80 for cognitive performance (mainly tests of attention and concentration), 0.39 for stress reduction, and 0.36 for measures of resilience (33).
At the preschool level, studies have also found significant effects of mindfulness-based interventions on measures of executive functions (34) (35) (36), self-regulation (37) (38), prosocial behavior (29) (39) (40), social competence, and hyperactivity (29) (41) (40). Jackman et al. (42) also reported an increase in body and emotional awareness, self-calming skills, and empathy.
Studies at the preschool level have also shown that children from disadvantaged sectors benefit more from mindfulness interventions in social-emotional and behavioral areas. These findings could be especially beneficial in countries with higher social inequality, such as Chile. In this sense, Poehlmann-Tynan et al. (37) show that a mindfulness intervention significantly increased attentional focus and self-regulation among young children from economically disadvantaged families. Another study regarding mindfulness and executive functions points out that children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds show lower levels of executive functions and higher levels of stress and stress hormones. Since stress interferes with the use and development of those skills, mindfulness intervention could be significantly beneficial for them (36).
These kinds of studies provide substantial evidence regarding the effects of mindfulness-based programs in the educational setting. Nevertheless, interventions are usually complex and include several factors intrinsic to their characteristics, making it difficult to be certain about what specific aspects generated the results. Was it mindfulness per se? Was it being listened to in the context of a group practice? Was it sharing experiences with others? Was it having a supportive and attentive instructor? Considering the complexity of intervention scenarios, it is also interesting to approach the study of mindfulness in education by analyzing the relation among mindfulness as a ‘‘trait’’ and variables related to teachers’ mental health and well-being, which, as previously mentioned, is a fundamental variable for assuring good teacher-student interactions and is therefore essential for the quality of the learning process. Identifying relevant aspects associated with being more mindful provides further evidence regarding the importance of mindfulness, regardless of meditation practice. Studies focused on general population samples have found that people who are naturally more mindful report feeling less stressed, anxious, or depressed and happier, inspired, grateful, self-compassionate, and satisfied with life (43) (23) (44) (45) (46) (47). People with a higher level of mindfulness have also been found to have greater awareness of their emotional states, greater understanding and acceptance of them, and better emotional self-regulation (48) (19) (45). Regarding teachers, there are also some studies that assess the relation among mindfulness and other variables without intervention. For instance, Becker, Gallagher and Whitaker (49) analyzed the relation between the dispositional mindfulness of early childhood educators and the quality of teacher-child interactions, finding a positive relation among them. In another study, Anama-Green (50) analyzed the relationship among the self-reported levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress of teachers and their reported levels of interpersonal and intrapersonal mindfulness. Those who reported high intrapersonal mindfulness scores were up to 11 times more likely to report “low” burnout than those who reported low intrapersonal mindfulness scores.
The purpose of the present study was to analyze the relationship between mindfulness and variables considered relevant for teacher–student interactions: teacher burnout, general stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. We hypothesized that mindfulness would relate negatively with mental health-related variables – teacher burnout, stress, anxiety, and depression – and positively with quality of life as perceived by the teachers in self-report questionnaires. We also explored which aspects of mindfulness would predict lower levels of burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress. Finally, we also explored which aspects of mindfulness are specifically related to quality of life.