Date of Award

1-1-2023

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology

Content Description

1 online resource (xvi, 240 pages) : illustrations (some color)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Kevin P Quinn

Committee Members

Mariola Moeyaert, Kimberly Colvin, Summer S Braun

Keywords

classroom climate, compassion, lovingkindness meditation, social-emotional competence, teacher burnout, teacher-student relationships, Meditation, Teachers, Burn out (Psychology)

Subject Categories

Elementary Education

Abstract

The quality of teacher-student interactions has important implications for students’ learning and development. The high demands placed on teachers can contribute to teacher stress and burnout, which have negative consequences on teacher well-being, retention, classroom climate, and instruction, impacting student outcomes. Research suggests that teachers’ well-being and social-emotional competence underlie their capacity and ability to effectively facilitate healthy teacher-student interactions and manage the classroom environment. The goal of this study was to test whether a brief and daily practice of lovingkindness meditation could reduce teacher burnout, improve emotion regulation, and enhance the quality of teacher-student interactions. This study’s sample included five elementary school teachers across general education, special education, and specialist contexts. Teachers reported pre- and post- intervention levels of burnout and emotion regulation by responding to items on the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Effects of lovingkindness meditation on these outcomes were assessed with a non-parametric pre-post test. An AB single-case experimental design was used to repeatedly assess teacher-student interaction quality throughout both phases of the study. Two coders conducted observations and scored teacher-student interaction quality using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Dimensions related to emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support were assessed. Visual analysis was applied to assess intervention effects on level and trend across emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. Non-overlap and trend analyses were then applied to supplement visual analysis findings. Results were mixed across the cases and outcomes. One general education case and one special education case appeared to show the greatest improvements in teacher-student interaction quality but also had teachers with the highest reported burnout scores. The two specialist cases demonstrated little to no improvement in this outcome. Emotional support appeared most impacted by the intervention. Though many teachers showed evidence of reduced burnout, the only subscale statistically significantly impacted was personal accomplishment. Within emotion regulation, evidence suggested that teachers’ cognitive reappraisal was statistically significantly impacted by the intervention, though three teachers showed increases in expressive suppression, a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy. This study had mixed results but promising did emerge. Anecdotal evidence also supported teachers’ satisfaction with the intervention.

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