Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Professional Development Program for Primary School Teachers in the Czech Republic: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Kamila Dvořáková (), Laura García Valladares, Bethany Butzer, Calvin Lange and Mark Greenberg
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Kamila Dvořáková: Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University, 314 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Laura García Valladares: Área de Educación y Formación del Profesorado, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, 39011 Santander, Spain
Bethany Butzer: School of Psychology, The Alef Trust, Wirral CH63 0HJ, UK
Calvin Lange: Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, 80539 München, Germany
Mark Greenberg: Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University, 314 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Research has shown that 20% of Czech teachers suffer with burnout symptoms and 65% are at risk of burning out, which suggests that it is essential to continue addressing the issue of stress in Czech teachers. The main objective of this study was to evaluate a self-compassion and mindfulness-based professional development program for primary school teachers in the Czech Republic. Methods: Five schools were recruited, two as intervention schools ( n of teachers = 47) and three as controls ( n of teachers = 57). Teachers completed questionnaires at three time points: pre-test in September 2018, post-test in November 2018, and a follow-up in April 2019. Results: The results at post-test indicated that teachers in the intervention group scored significantly higher ( p < 0.05) in self-efficacy and self-compassion, and significantly lower in depression, anxiety and emotional exhaustion, compared to the controls. The intervention teachers were marginally lower ( p < 0.10) in perceived stress and marginally higher in subjective well-being, compared to the controls. At follow-up, teachers’ subjective well-being in the control group significantly worsened compared to the baseline. However, the intervention group did not show significant changes over time, which suggests a “protective effect” on the intervention group against worsening during the school year. Conclusions: The study suggests that providing teachers with self-compassion and mindfulness practices can lead to beneficial effects on several outcome variables. Further studies need to investigate if these benefits can be sustained and if they affect teachers’ physical health, their relationships with students, and the students’ outcomes.

Keywords: mindfulness; compassion; stress management techniques; primary school teachers; well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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