Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

5-2018

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Virginia Foley

Committee Members

John Boyd, Bill Flora, Troy Knechtel

Abstract

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of teacher perception of change in school culture as a result of the implementation of mindfulness. This study used a phenomenological methodology, enabling the researcher to gather information by focusing on and describing the impact of mindfulness on school culture in a deep comprehensive manner.

The investigator was able to extract meaning and code data, leading to the emergence of themes that supported and aligned with the study’s research questions and thus led into a holistic understanding of the phenomenon. This was accomplished through data analysis of rich, in-depth interviews, onsite visits, and document analysis, which consisted of aggregate student disciplinary information, aggregate achievement results, the state report card, attendance records, teacher retention records, and faculty survey results. The quality of data sources led to saturation, and variety of sources allowed for triangulation of the results.

The principal researcher in this study found that mindfulness results in a large, positive impact on school culture, including improved relationships among stakeholders, improved academic performance, and a decrease in disciplinary incidents. This was evidenced and supported by a thorough literature review, the results of participant interviews, and document analysis. The researcher also specified factors teachers perceived as essential to the implementation of mindfulness in schools and provided practical suggestions for putting mindfulness in place as well as suggestions for future research. The results from this study provide a framework for understanding and exploring the phenomenon.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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