Facilitating Meditation Practice in the Higher Education Classroom: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

The practice of meditation in higher education classrooms has gained interest as an intervention to assist students with stress, focus, and academic performance. However, relevant literature on actual teaching and learning methods to facilitate meditative techniques remains sparse. Five areas, including professional development for faculty, how to introduce meditation, and the selection of meditation techniques suitable for the classroom, are explored as avenues for additional research. Drawing upon recent scholarship, a Classroom Meditation Facilitation Framework (CMFF) is posited as a conceptual roadmap to help faculty and instructors interested in implementing classroom meditation. The framework outlines five sequential steps in the process, emphasizing the need for faculty to establish personal meditation practices, better understand student vulnerabilities, recognize the importance of inviting students and creating inclusiveness environments, and using active teaching geared toward emerging adults to sustain motivation and interest.