Mindfulness-based intervention for educators: Effects of a school-based cluster randomized controlled study

Objectives
The present study investigates the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention designed to improve educator wellbeing and implemented concurrently in multiple school sites.
Methods
Using a cluster (school) randomized controlled design, 185 educators working in 20 Australian schools were randomized to an intervention group (10 schools, number = 85, mean age = 42.34 years) or a control group (10 schools, number = 100, mean age = 43.7 years). Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine effects of intervention on wellbeing and teaching-related outcomes and students’ sense of connectedness to teachers measured post intervention after controlling for the baseline.
Results
The intervention predicted lower levels of perceived stress (β = − 0.196, p < 0.01, 95% CI [− 4.00, − 0.92]) and sleep difficulty (β = − 0.175, p < 0.05, 95% CI [− 7.54, − 0.46]) and higher levels of mindfulness (β = 0.252, p < 0.001, 95% CI [2.60, 6.12]), self-compassion (β = 0.207, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.14, 0.43]) and cognitive reappraisal in emotion regulation (β = 0.152, p < 0.05, 95% CI [0.19, 4.03]) at immediate post-intervention, with medium to large effect sizes, after controlling for effects of corresponding variables at baseline. These effects largely remained significant at 6-week post-intervention. Improved educator wellbeing did not accompany improvements in teaching but students’ sense of connectedness to teachers.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may contribute to the overall educator wellbeing and this may increase students’ sense of connectedness to teachers without themselves undergoing any intervention.