Teachers' stress and training in a school-based mindfulness program: Implementation results from a cluster randomized...

Area of Science:

• Education
• Psychology
• Mindfulness Research

Background:

• School-based mindfulness trainings (SBMT) aim to enhance student social-emotional skills and well-being.
• High-quality implementation is crucial for evidence-based programs, yet teacher-level factors influencing SBMT fidelity remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how teacher baseline stress, trust, and program expectations predict SBMT implementation quality.
• To examine if teacher baseline stress moderates the impact of training on implementation quality.

Main Methods:

• Assessed implementation quality of a SBMT in British secondary schools (N=81) using observations and self-reports.
• Measured teacher baseline stress, trust in colleagues/principal, and program expectations.
• Analyzed predictors of implementation quality and moderation effects of teacher stress.

Main Results:

• Principal support at baseline correlated with higher observed SBMT implementation quality.
• Positive program expectations were linked to increased teacher confidence in future delivery.
• Teacher baseline stress moderated training effects: intensive training improved quality for high-stress teachers.

Conclusions:

• Teacher-level factors, particularly principal support and stress management, are critical for effective SBMT implementation.
• Tailoring training intensity based on teacher stress levels may optimize program delivery and impact.