Proceedings of The 8th International Academic Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2023
DOI:
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Learning Mindfulness – An Ecological Perspective
Hilla Cohen
ABSTRACT:
Mindfulness is becoming more and more popular as a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety and an accessible option for improving well-being and relationship (Sun, 2014). As such, mindfulness is becoming increasingly integrated into the field of education and teacher training programs (Shapiro, Rechtschaffen & Sousa, 2016). But how do students experience this learning? What are the characteristics of this learning and what are her components?
The study aims to learn how is the learning experience of students in a mindfulness course for a master’s degree in teacher training at a college in southern Israel. This is a pioneering, grounded theory, exploratory, and psychology study.
To this end, 40 student self-diaries and 20 student reflections were analyzed in a thematic (content) inductive analysis. The main findings were four main themes that described different spheres that formed the learning experience, The spheres are the personal development sphere, the professional development sphere, the classroom sphere, and the immediate family sphere. A cross-sectional theme presents an autonomous process that included the following stages: skepticism and resistance, a formative experience that creates a turning point, acceptance, and a willingness to learn and practice under guidance and routines. The different spheres support the ecological theory that presents relationships of interdependence that create a personal, unique, and transformative development process for students in master’s degrees in teacher training programs.
keywords: Mindfulness, Ecological theory, Teacher Training Program