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16-07-2022 | ORIGINAL PAPER

Preschool Teachers’ Mindfulness and Children’s Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Functioning

Auteurs: Lieny Jeon, Katherine Ardeleanu, Xiangyu Zhao

Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness | Uitgave 8/2022

Abstract

Objectives

Early childhood educators play a significant role in creating social and emotional learning environments for children. Therefore, it is important that early childhood educators stay mindful to provide responsive and sensitive care and education for young children. The goal of this study is to examine to what extent five facets of teachers’ mindfulness (i.e., observing, describing, awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity) are associated with children’s social, emotional, and behavioral functioning, measured by anger/aggression, anxiety/withdrawal, social competence, and behavioral self-regulation.

Methods

Using data collected from 329 preschool-aged children and their 52 teachers in 13 ECE programs, we conducted three-level multi-level analyses.

Results

Different aspects of mindfulness among teachers were differently associated with child outcomes after controlling for child and teacher demographics. Teachers’ observing was positively associated with children’s social competence and anger/aggression. When teachers report a higher level of describing, children had better social competence. In addition, teachers’ better awareness was significantly associated with lower levels of anxiety/withdrawal and anger/aggression. Teachers’ nonjudgmental mind was positively associated with children’s self-regulation.

Conclusions

The findings revealed that teachers’ mindfulness is generally associated with children’s social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. This suggests the importance of teachers’ mindfulness in ECE settings and the need for addressing mindfulness in future research. Because different aspects of mindfulness were associated with different child outcomes, future research may consider the uniqueness of ECE teachers’ role when designing mindfulness interventions.

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Titel: Preschool Teachers’ Mindfulness and Children’s Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Functioning
Auteurs: Lieny Jeon
Katherine Ardeleanu
Xiangyu Zhao
Publicatiedatum: 16-07-2022
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness / Uitgave 8/2022
Print ISSN: 1868-8527
Elektronisch ISSN: 1868-8535
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01941-4

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