Meditation: A Contemplative Practice With Preservice Teachers to Foster Spiritual Nourishment

• In Event: Roundtable Session 95
  In Roundtable Session: The Varied Terrain of Teacher Beliefs: Exploration and Development

Abstract

Aiming at preparing teachers to better address children’s spiritual aspects of development, this study uses meditation, as a contemplative practice, with preservice teachers. Meditation was introduced as a five to seven minutes experience to undergraduate students, in one of their early childhood education curriculum courses. Data were collected through two questionnaires administered before and after the meditation experience. The qualitative findings showed that preservice teachers found the practice of meditation calming, relaxing, stress releasing, peace inducing, and useful as a tool to self-regulate their behavior. Study participants also reported to be willing to continue practicing meditation and possibly introducing it to their future students.

Author

• Jennifer Mata, DePaul University