Learning and Practicing Mindfulness: Perspectives of a Mmaster’s Degree Education Students

Abstract

Mindfulness is becoming more and more popular as a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety and an accessible option for improving well-being and relationships. As such, mindfulness is becoming increasingly integrated into the field of education and teacher training programs. But how do students experience this learning and practicing? How does mindfulness relate to their daily work? And what are the implications of these studies for their professional development? This study aimed was to learn how does students in education experience a course in mindfulness and personal development and how it influences them. This is a pioneering, grounded theory, exploratory, and psychology study.  To this end, 42 student self-diaries and 20 student reflections were analyzed in a thematic inductive analysis. The main findings were four main themes that described different spheres that formed the learning experience, The spheres are the personal development sphere, the professional development sphere, the classroom sphere, and the immediate family sphere. A cross-sectional theme presents an autonomous process that includes the following stages: scepticism and resistance, a formative experience that creates a turning point, acceptance, and a willingness to learn and practice under guidance and routines. The different spheres support the ecological theory that presents relationships of interdependence that create a personal, unique, and transformative development process.