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The Impact Of A Mindfulness Intervention:introduction

An overview of a mindfulness intervention for teachers

Date : 01/09/2021

Author Information

Emily

Uploaded by : Emily
Uploaded on : 01/09/2021
Subject : Psychology

1. Introduction

What, if any, is the impact of a mindfulness intervention on online teachers` wellbeing?

1.1. Overview

This chapter gives grounds as to why there should be more of an emphasis on interventions aimed at improving the wellbeing of online teachers, arguing that smartphone applications are a good way to deliver such an intervention. The chapter will be summarised by outlining the research aims.

1.2. Research Topic and Rationale

When I am a teacher is said in response to the commonly asked dinner party question to What do you do? , there is usually a consensus that the profession is one of high stress, involving caregiving demands, emotional management, and work overload (Montgomery Rupp, 2005). When the profession is delivered in an online capacity (i.e I am an online teacher ) the expectations of the role are often blurred. Distance learning can offer new opportunities for students through better access to resources, increased interaction between teachers and students, as well as greater flexibility in place and time (Bennett Lockyer, 2004). Perhaps this explains why the online teaching industry has been growing rapidly over the past decade (Arnesen, Hveem, Short, West Barbour, 2018). It has recently seen an even bigger increase because of the current COVID-19 pandemic (Strielkowski Wang, 2020), which has affected all levels of the education system, causing complete closure of schools in the United Kingdom (Mhlanga Ndhlovu, 2020). Although this growth is impressive, in coping with this high demand, online teachers commonly cite a high workload as a major challenge (Kearsley Blooeyer, 2004). As well as this, a whole host of stressors may also be present in the home, such as looking after children, lack of social support, or technological issues, that could impact wellbeing (Nicklin, McNall, Cerasoli, Varga McGivney, 2016).

Teachers in the traditional sense, working predominantly in a face-to-face environment, are a profession that get a lot of attention within wellbeing intervention research since factors within their environment, such as pressure and long work hours, can cause poor mental health (Kidger et al., 2016). However, findings from this research cannot easily be extrapolated to online teachers, as both the type of interaction and environment they work in differs considerably (Duncan Barnett, 2009).

Technological advancements have presented a universal opportunity to improve the wellbeing of individuals, if an internet connection and smartphone are accessible (Milosevic, Shrove Jovanov, 2011). Smartphone applications offer a pragmatic platform to improve wellbeing, enabling individuals to better manage and improve their mental health (Lane et al., 2011). Such applications, particularly those that are mindfulness-based, often market themselves as free of cost for teachers or educators (Kane, 2017). Despite this, the majority of these applications usually require evidence of employment in a traditional school, with online schools and teachers not meeting their criteria for a free subscri ption (Headspace, 2020).

The majority of mindfulness interventions aimed at improving wellbeing do not tend to use smart-phone-based applications for their delivery. Instead, they are usually delivered by trained mindfulness instructors (Hwang, Bartlett, Greben Hand, 2017). They also tend to require a high degree of dedication in terms of time from the participant, often demanding two and a half hours for one session (Carmody Baer, 2009). This may account for high drop-out rates in mindfulness interventions (Schoultz, Atherton Watson, 2015). Thus, proposing an intervention to improve wellbeing that is not too time-consuming is of critical importance. However, to date there are no interventions specifically looking at how mindfulness practice may improve the wellbeing of online teachers.

1.3. Research aims

The purpose of the present research is to determine whether a four-week mindfulness intervention, requiring participants to practise mindfulness daily via a smartphone application, can improve wellbeing within a group of online teachers. There are three primary aims within the research. The first is to determine whether a positive relationship exists between mindfulness practice and wellbeing. A secondary aim is to ascertain whether a causal relationship exists between the frequency of mindfulness practice and changes in wellbeing, following the intervention. The final aim is to gain a deeper understanding of participants experiences with mindfulness.

This resource was uploaded by: Emily