Brief Report: A Preliminary Investigation of a Mindful Breathing Intervention to Increase Academic Engagement in an Alternative Educational Setting

Abstract

One of the most common student-related obstacles faced by teachers is a lack of academic engagement or difficulty with sustaining attention (Bundick, Quaglia, Corso, & Haywood, 2014; DuPaul, 2007). This is problematic as research has demonstrated that student engagement is positively correlated with academic achievement (Strambler & McKown, 2013). Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) display a variety of off-task and disruptive behaviors that interfere with their learning. Therefore, it is particularly important to address low academic engagement in students with EBD. Although the efficacy of traditional behavioral techniques for improving outcomes such as academic engagement is well established (Gresham, 2004), limitations with implementation have been noted, such as focus on external management of delivery (Briesch & Chafouleas, 2009b) and intervention complexity (Thomas, 1980). Thus, easily implemented, internally managed interventions that promote academic engagement and can be used in conjunction with existing behavioral frameworks may be welcome in schools. Mindfulness and Self-Management Mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) may provide an efficient tool for increasing academic engagement in students by promoting self-management skills. Mindfulness has been defined as "the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment" (Kabat-Zinn, 2003, p. 145). Baer (2003) noted that mindfulness training may promote early recognition of a problem, which can then provide an opportunity to apply previously learned skills at a time when they are most likely to be effective in preventing the problem. Thus, engaging in mindfulness can promote self-management of attention. Self-management strategies have been defined as those that include one or more of the following: (a) personal goal setting, (b) self-monitoring, (c) self-evaluation and recording, (d) self-reinforcement, and (e) self-charting (Briesch & Chafouleas, 2009b). By engaging in mindful breathing, one learns to recognize (or self-monitor) when the mind wanders, take note in an accepting and nonjudgmental manner 740870B HDXXX10.

The Role of Chinese Language Learners' Academic Resilience and Mindfulness in Their Engagement

“…As stated by Minkos et al ( 2018 ), mindfulness can be successful in elevating learners' educational engagement and it plays the role of an approach that assists learners with better recognize educational circumstances, thereby enabling them to be more engaged in education (Lin, 2020 ). Experiential proof of studies on mindfulness and learner engagement is lacking.…”

Mindfulness and Student Engagement: The Mediation Effect of Self Esteem

“…Mindfulness also provides benefits for increasing student engagement in learning. According to Minkos et al (2018), mindfulness has the potential to be an effective way to increase student's academic engagement. Mindfulness acts as a method that helps students become more aware of learning situations making them more engaged in learning (Lin, 2020).…”

Mitigating EFL students' academic disengagement: The role of teachers’ compassion and mindfulness in China

“…As the signs of disengagement begin in students' lives, they can hamper their abilities to deal with the emotional difficulties in a way that leads to the growth of engagement [ 51 ]. Mindfulness can be effective in inspiring students' engagement and it can help them with enhanced learning situations, so empowering them to be more involved in the process of their learning [ 52 , 53 ].…”