Spirituality and Mindfulness Practices of Early Childhood and Elementary Preservice Teachers: A Snapshot

Kelsey L Evans-Amalu,Miranda Lin,Thomas A Lucey

doi:10.46303/jcsr.2021.12

Abstract

This paper describes the results of a research survey that interpreted the patterns of mindfulness and spirituality within a convenience sample of preservice teachers at a Midwest teacher education institution. Mindfulness and spiritualty represent topics of developing interest in teacher education that serve to increase candidate focus and revision of practice. Respondents completed a survey as part of a semester’s project that interpreted the results of a semester-long mindfulness intervention on student mindfulness and spiritual attitudes and practices. The findings determined that participants had senses of mindfulness and self the emphasized themselves, and their external worlds, let weak connection with a higher spiritual entity. Significant differences were observed between early childhood and elementary majors.

Highlights

Preservice teacher education programs aim to prepare graduates to function within a pre-K-12 school system equipped with the necessary pedagogical practices to succeed in the teaching profession (Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005)
This paper describes the results of a research survey that interpreted the patterns of mindfulness and spirituality within a convenience sample of preservice teachers at a Midwest teacher education institution
It found that this sample of early childhood and elementary majors experienced a sense of spirituality rooted in self and the visible world and indicated respondents had a mindful sense that was disengaged from the external world

Summary

Introduction

Preservice teacher education programs aim to prepare graduates to function within a pre-K-12 school system equipped with the necessary pedagogical practices to succeed in the teaching profession (Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005). The American public education system has undergone social, political, and cultural shifts (Zeichner, 2016) within the past decade, and many teacher preparation programs are struggling to teach and prepare the whole student for the challenging career of teaching. Many teacher education/preparation programs often fail to consider the developmental process from the whole child perspective of the individual student (e.g., the teacher candidate) (Miller, 2010). Preparing teachers with a holistic perspective of learning provides for a profound sense of awareness and valuing that invites a richer understanding of social engagement. Holistic education attends to all developmental domainsincluding the spiritual dimension, which may support preservice teachers bringing their learning from their spiritual life into the classroom (Cady, 2007; Miller, 2010; Noddings, 2010; Zhang & Wu, 2016)

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