Mindfulness and connection training during preservice teacher education reduces early career teacher attrition 4 years later.

Matthew J Hirshberg, Lisa Flook, Reka Sundaram-Stukel, Richard J Davidson
Author Information
  1. Matthew J Hirshberg: Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States. Electronic address: hirshberg@wisc.edu.
  2. Lisa Flook: Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
  3. Reka Sundaram-Stukel: Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
  4. Richard J Davidson: Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.

Abstract

Early career teacher attrition disrupts school continuity, precludes many of those who leave from achieving expertise, and drains economic resources from school systems. In a longitudinal cluster randomized controlled trial (k = 8, n = 98), we examined the impact of a 9-week meditation-based intervention on undergraduate preservice teachers' rates of attrition from teaching approximately 4 years later. The odds of attrition among intervention group participants 3 years into their teaching careers were significantly reduced by at least 77.0% regardless of modeling approach (Odds ratios = 0.13-0.23, ps ��� 0.013) compared to teacher education as usual controls. In benefit-cost analyses, we estimated that for every $1 spent on the intervention, hiring districts saved $3.43 in replacement teacher costs. Additional research is required to replicate the core finding of reduced attrition and understand the pathways through which the intervention caused these reductions.

Keywords

References

  1. PLoS One. 2018 Dec 12;13(12):e0207765 [PMID: 30540772]
  2. Educ Res. 2022 Dec;51(9):593-597 [PMID: 38603417]
  3. Educ Psychol Rev. 2019;31(1):163-195 [PMID: 30930595]
  4. Educ Res. 2023 Jan;52(1):48-52 [PMID: 37379444]
  5. Psychol Sci. 2022 Jan;33(1):18-32 [PMID: 34936529]
  6. Nature. 2019 Sep;573(7774):364-369 [PMID: 31391586]
  7. Prev Sci. 2018 Apr;19(3):366-390 [PMID: 29435786]
  8. Sch Psychol Q. 2018 Sep;33(3):492-499 [PMID: 30070555]
  9. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Dec 22;117(51):32197-32206 [PMID: 33288719]
  10. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2016 Sep;11(5):702-712 [PMID: 27694465]
  11. Child Dev Perspect. 2012 Jun 1;6(2):146-153 [PMID: 22905038]
  12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Aug 11;117(32):19151-19158 [PMID: 32703808]
  13. Front Hum Neurosci. 2012 Oct 25;6:296 [PMID: 23112770]
  14. J Sch Psychol. 2022 Apr;91:50-64 [PMID: 35190079]
  15. Psychol Bull. 2017 Feb;143(2):117-141 [PMID: 28054797]
  16. Br J Educ Psychol. 2019 Dec;89(4):767-786 [PMID: 30417329]
  17. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Mar;54(3):466-75 [PMID: 3361419]
  18. J Educ Psychol. 2022 Nov;114(8):1895-1911 [PMID: 36387982]
  19. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2022 Jan;17(1):108-130 [PMID: 33593124]
  20. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 1982 Apr;4(1):33-47 [PMID: 7042457]
  21. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2014 Jun;143(3):1306-1313 [PMID: 23957283]
  22. Trends Cogn Sci. 2015 Sep;19(9):515-23 [PMID: 26231761]

Grants

  1. K01 MH130752/NIMH NIH HHS

MeSH Term

Humans
School Teachers
Female
Male
Mindfulness
Teacher Training
Adult
Longitudinal Studies
Meditation
Young Adult
Personnel Turnover

Word Cloud

Created with Highcharts 10.0.0attritionteacherinterventioneducationTeachercareerschoolpreserviceteaching4 yearslaterreducedMindfulnessEarlydisruptscontinuityprecludesmanyleaveachievingexpertisedrainseconomicresourcessystemslongitudinalclusterrandomizedcontrolledtrialk = 8n = 98examinedimpact9-weekmeditation-basedundergraduateteachers'ratesapproximatelyoddsamonggroupparticipants3 yearscareerssignificantlyleast770%regardlessmodelingapproachOddsratios = 013-023ps ��� 0013comparedusualcontrolsbenefit-costanalysesestimatedevery$1spenthiringdistrictssaved$343replacementcostsAdditionalresearchrequiredreplicatecorefindingunderstandpathwayscausedreductionsconnectiontrainingreducesearlyBenefit-costanalysisretention

Similar Articles

Cited By

No available data.