More Researchers
When considering the effects of meditation on academic success, “To date, only three studies have investigated the relationship between meditation and academic performance. Two studies used differences in standardised academic tests, and the third used subjective student self-assessments of academic achievement.” Waters, L., et al. (2015) Water further contends that, insufficient evidence has yet to be accumulated to answer the question, “What is the effectiveness of meditation in mainstream schools in relation to academic achievement?” Within this article, Contemplative Education: A Systematic, Evidence-Based Review of the effect of Meditation Interventions in Schools, (2015), Waters sites various research studies of different age groups, length of studies, types of meditative practices, and frequency of meditation practices. A closer look at a relevant study by Warner (2005) that is included in the article states that kindergarten through 5th grade students who received meditation training performed at a higher level than controls on test of working memory, reflectivity, flexibility, and conservation. Results showed working memory = .45, Reflectivity= 1.12, Flexibility = .34, and Conservation = .35. And while these studies appear to highlight the benefits of mindfulness on learning as so far that it benefits the skills needed for learning, there is no evidence in this study that shows that mindfulness can in fact lead to better acheivement scores. In Mindfulness-Based Approaches with Children and Adolescents, Burke, C. (2010) reviews 15 current articles of research on the effects of mindfulness in clinical and non-clinical studies with an age range of 4 to 19 years old and sample sizes of 1 to 228 students. A look at Smalley et al.(unpublished), a study of pre-school age students that were treated with mindfulness awareness practices 2 times a week for 8 weeks showed outcomes for their social skills and temperament as Cohen’s f 2 = .37–.40a. General findings from this study show that the outcome was mostly inconclusive in that the study of mindfulness is difficult to gauge objectively by the researchers/teachers. A similar study of non-clinical students, grades 1st through 3rd, by Napoli, et al.(2005), students participated in sessions of 45 minutes in length at the Attention Academy Program. Students engaged in meditation classes 12 times over a 24 week period and the research results showed that significant improvements were reported; self rated test anxiety (p = .007), teacher rated attention (p = .001), social skills (p =.001), objective measures of selective (visual) attention (p<.001) but not sustained attention (p =.350). Again, this study shows the benefits of mindfulness but not to any academic end. In a journal article by Matt Leland, Mindfulness and Student Success (2015), he puts forth the question, "Should mindfulness instruction be incorporated into curriculum at all levels of formal education to help students be more successful in their academic pursuits?" His literature review produced studies of mindfulness implemented to address critical thinking skills, students with disabilities, job skills, bullying, athletics and social behavior. He notes that at the center of mindfulness is the improved ability to focus; focus on the lessons or tasks, and the ability to better filter out distractions. He references Broderick & Jennings (2012), to say that by maintaining a calmer view of the present, students are able to improve their study habits, planning, and organizational skills through mindfulness. While there is little to say that mindfulness practice has a direct effect on student testing, a study conducted at the University of Santa Barbara discovered that it did help raise GRE scores by 16% (Docksai, 2013). Details of the study and methodology used were not presented in this article. Docksai (2013) also contends that research has shown that mindfulness can have a positive impact on students with learning disabilities and that educators who have implemented mindfulness training for students with ADHD have seen academic improvement as well as a decrease in behavioral issues arising from impulsiveness and difficulty reading social cues. Broderick, P., & Jennings, P. (2012). Mindfulness for adolescents: A promising approach to supporting emotion regulation and preventing risky behavior. New Directions For Youth Development, 2012(136), 111-126. Warner, T. Q. (2005). Awareness and cognition: The role of awareness training in child development. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 17, 47–64. Docksai, R. (2013). A mindful approach to learning. Futurist, 47(5), 8-10
0 Comments
|
AuthorJennifer Wade ArchivesCategories |