Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners

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CHAPTER 8

SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS

PROTOCOLS: MANUALIZED AND

STRUCTURED MINDFULNESS PROGRAMS

FOR SCHOOLS

He who does not research has nothing to teach.

Proverb, Author Unknown

Schools need practical, feasible, and acceptable interventions that work. Researchers are
charged to assess each of these perspectives. Research in the field of mindfulness has been
increasing for a few decades, with research conducted in schools evolving more recently.
Currently, there are only a few research papers that have aggregated the findings but there
are many papers that review specific interventions. Understanding the quality of the evi-
dence as well as the findings is critical. Building on the conceptual, formal mindfulness,
and informal mindfulness chapters, this chapter reviews several key issues in research and
quality of evidence, risks, the outcomes on mindfulness in schools, and several structured
programs for implementing mindfulness in schools.

KEY ASPECTS OF RESEARCH

No matter how many checks and balances we put into place, all research has some form
of bias. Researchers want to find positive effects for their interventions. Journals tend to
only publish studies with significant findings and participants tend to respond to surveys
in socially acceptable ways. It is likely, too, that participating in a study creates bias, as those
who do and those who do not participate may be inherently different in an important way
related to mindfulness. These and many more variables can be sources of bias. With respect
to quantitative research, it is important to be mindful of the differences in quality of evi-
dence provided by a study. At higher quality levels, there is less chance of bias, or influence
of other variables on the outcomes. At lower quality levels, there is an increased chance of
bias. Distinctly, qualitative studies serve a different function (e.g., theory development) and