Problem Statement
Reportedly, the main challenge affecting education systems globally is teacher burnout,
which has adverse effects on both the teaching staff and learning institutions (Tao, 2022).
Teacher burnout, defined as high levels of stress and emotional exhaustion, is linked to lower job
satisfaction levels, higher rates of teacher absenteeism, and diminished student performance
(Song et al., 2020). Likewise, student learning, defined here as the students’ behavioral,
emotional, and cognitive investment in the learning process, is critical to academic outcomes and
school effectiveness (Limpo et al., 2023). Nevertheless, tired teachers may fail to foster enriching
classroom settings more often than not.
Studies indicate that MBIs have the potential to decrease stress and burnout among
teachers and may beneficially affect classroom climate (de Carvalho et al., 2021). However,
there is still a lack of extensive research on the impact of teacher mindfulness programs on
teacher and student outcomes, including the use of rigorous mixed methods strategies.
Accordingly, this study intends to fill the existing gap through the investigation of the effects of a
mindfulness-based program for teachers on burnout, student interest and achievement.
Purpose Statement
Primarily, this mixed methods study aims at identifying the impact of an eight-week
program of mindfulness-based interventions to reduce teacher burnout, foster student
engagement, and improve the student's academic and socio-emotional well-being in elementary
schools. Data collection will employ a convergent parallel design, whereby both quantitative and
qualitative data will be gathered concurrently in an attempt to capture the effects of the
mindfulness program fully.
More specifically, the research questions that this study seeks to answer include:
1. What impact does the 8-week mindfulness program have on the levels of burnout and
work engagement among teachers?
2. In what ways does the mindfulness program affect teacher-student relationships and
motivation in class?
3. How does the program impact students’ academic outcomes and socio-emotional
development?
4. What are the teachers’ and students’ attitudes and experiences concerning the experiences
and outcomes of the mindfulness program?
Data Collection Plan
The targeted sample will consist of 60 elementary school teachers and their students from
10 different schools. The participants will be the teachers who will be assigned randomly to
either the mindfulness intervention group or a waitlist control group. The mindfulness program
will involve a once-a-week 2-hour group meeting for 8 weeks and additional home assignments.
The quantitative data collection will include:
1. Teacher self-report measures: Self-reported questionnaires including Maslach Burnout
Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Five
Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) at
baseline, after intervention, and at 3-month follow-up (de Carvalho et al., 2021; Hidajat
et al., 2023).
2. Classroom observations: Preliminary and follow-up teacher-student interactions and
engagement in the classroom will be evaluated by Classroom Assessment Scoring System
(CLASS) (de Carvalho et al., 2021).
3. Student outcomes: Math and reading standardized test scores and assessment of socio-
emotional competencies using the SSIS at the pre-and post-intervention (Limpo et al.,
2023).
Some of the qualitative data collection techniques include:
1. Semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 20 teachers after the intervention
to discuss their interactions with the program and changes they witnessed in their
teaching or classroom environment.
2. Two focus groups with ten students from each of the two groups, five from each, about
the observed change in teachers' behavior and changes in a classroom environment.
3. Teacher-generated open-ended questions on weekly reflection logs will be used
throughout the study by the teachers in the intervention group.
Further, program implementation fidelity would be measured based on the Treatment Fidelity
Tool for MBIs (Hidajat et al., 2023) on aspects of adherence, dosage, and participant
engagement.
Data Analysis Plan
Quantitative data analysis will include the following:
1. Multiple ANOVA analysis was conducted to compare teacher burnout, work engagement,
mindfulness, and perceived stress over time between the two groups.
2. Paired samples t-tests will be used to find out whether intervention and control group
CLASS scores were significantly different post-intervention.
3. Hierarchical linear modeling is used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on student
academic performance and socio-emotional development while controlling for the
clustering of students in class.
4. Mediation analyses to examine whether the changes in teacher mindfulness and work
engagement could mediate the impact of the intervention on classroom engagement and
students’ achievements (Tao, 2022).
Qualitative data analysis:
1. Review of selected interview transcripts, focus group discussions, and daily teacher
reflection logs in order to identify key emergent themes to do with program
characteristics, perceived advantages as well as disadvantages.
2. Apply the constant comparative method in order to build a grounded theory on the way
that the mindfulness program impacts the instructions and interactions of teachers in the
classrooms.
Mixed methods integration:
1. Joint displays will be utilized in order to identify similarities and differences between
quantitative results and qualitative themes
2. Quantitative results will be accompanied by qualitative findings to gain a deeper
understanding of how the mindfulness program affects teachers and students and how it
works.
3. Case studies of "high impact" and "low impact" classrooms will be constructed based on
the collected data, with quantitative and qualitative results presented to show potential
sources of variation in success.
