180 • ii: MindFulnESS in EduCATing FOR SElF-REgulATiOn And EngAgEMEnT
COnCluSiOn
As the body of research on mindfulness in schools and for youth grows, it becomes increas-
ingly more difficult to capture the nuances of all that is happening. There is a wide range
of quality across programs with research to assess these programs. There are gorgeous web
pages citing extensive studies and plastered with pictures of the brain with catchy graphics
seeming as if they are entirely research-based and supported by program-specific research.
Yet, like the old saying goes, when you lift the hood and kick the tires, you realize that the
program is nothing more than a car with a fancy paint job. We can think back to the proverb
at the beginning of the chapter, “He who does not research has nothing to teach.” Research
is difficult, and even more difficult when done in schools. As educators, we must commit to
moving the field forward by keeping up with the research, by supporting research efforts in
your own school, and by partnering with universities and researchers to make the research
happen.
Research must be carefully vetted for its quality. Some of the studies described in this
chapter offered small sample sizes, were self-described pilot studies, and lacked objective
measures. And each study carries with it a bias from the researchers, the researchers’ pos-
sible alliance with mindfulness practices, as well as all of the other biases listed in this chap-
ter. Although the findings suggest that mindfulness practice may be helpful in classrooms
and schools, we are far from a solid understanding of exactly how well mindfulness prac-
tices work across practices, student populations, dosages (i.e., durations, frequencies) and
in what contexts. There is much we still need to understand.
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