•  
  •  
 

Abstract

Childhood anxiety has been an increasing focus of classroom teachers in recent years. It creates an excess of problems, which can lead to other health-related issues. Long-term effects may include mental health problems, such as depression and isolation, due to becoming accustomed to coping with anxiety daily. This curriculum project designed a series of lessons that were delivered on a weekly basis to a class of second-grade students. Once the pandemic forced schools to move online, these mindfulness activities were delivered through remote instruction which greatly benefitted the young students during this difficult time. The purpose of this action research study was to create and evaluate mindfulness-based interventions as an effective approach that may be used to positively impact student learning and their emotional well-being in the classroom. Participants were a small group of teachers who worked or volunteered at the school where the curriculum was used. They were purposefully selected by having knowledge or experience in mindfulness-based interventions. This qualitative study gathered data from an open-ended evaluation questionnaire. Once received, the data was analyzed by identifying codes and themes and then the feedback was used to make improvements to the curriculum. The results of the study indicated that mindfulness-based interventions were highly successful in each classroom and are recommended to be included in the daily practice of elementary schools.

Author Biography

Dr. Gina Solano is a university professor of Educational Technology at SUNY Oneonta teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in educational technology, research, and teaching methods. She has researched and presented on a variety of technology topics at national and international conferences on virtual reality, digital badges, digital storytelling, digital design, augmented reality, geospatial technologies, technology-supported mindfulness tools, and much more. She has also directed several service-learning programs, community outreach, and international student trips. Dr. Solano’s research focuses on the technology professional development of educators, AR/VR/XR, innovative technologies, and using technology to support mindfulness education. Ms. Adriana Quattrini was a second-grade teacher at a private school in Maryland prior to her new role as a technology coordinator for Worcester School District. She is avid in personal fitness and yoga. While as a classroom teacher, she included mindfulness practices often to help her students cope with test anxiety. During the pandemic, Ms. Quattrini continued her mindfulness lessons and taught them remotely to her students. Currently, she provides technical support, training, and technology tool professional development to the educators in her school district.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Download

Share

COinS