The Effect of M-SMART Training on the Stress and Distractibility of Parents and Teachers
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Authors
Kaplan, Courtney
Issue Date
2010
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
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Abstract
Teaching is one of the most influential professions that shape children's lives. External stressors
related to classroom teaching and internal psychological stressqrs may cause some teachers to
perform poorly, and not provide children the type of education they deserve. This level of stress
is elevated when working with teachers or parents of special needs children. Mindfulness
meditation practices may help reduce teacher and parent stress and improve concentration such
that they may feel more efficacious and enhance their well-being. Sixty-six parentsĀ· and teachers
from the major school district within a small Midwestern city were recruited to participate in a
mindfulness meditation training program called Michigan-Stress Management and Relaxation
Techniques (M-SMART). We conducted a randomized control study to learn whether we would
detect differences in stress and attention levels between the 5-week treatment and the waitlist
control groups. We found no significant findings as a function of group assignment. These nonsignificant
findings suggest that there is much more that needs to be done to help teachers and
parents reduce stressors related to teaching and caring for children with special needs.
Description
v, 24 p.
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