The Intersectionality of Trust and School Mindfulness: Rural Perspectives on Anticipating and Containing Failure

• In Event: Organizational Effects Related to Leadership and School Operations

Abstract

This quantitative study investigated the practice of school mindfulness in rural secondary schools in Tennessee. This investigation utilized Hoy, Gage, and Tarter’s (2004) theoretical construct of school mindfulness: focus on failure, reluctance to simplify, sensitivity to teaching and learning, commitment to resilience, and deference to expertise. Teachers (n=94) in six rural secondary schools (three high-performing and three low-performing) were surveyed on their perceptions of school mindfulness, dimensions of principal and faculty mindfulness, and the elements of school mindfulness. Quantitative results from an independent samples t test displayed a statistically significant difference between teachers in high-performing schools compared to teachers in low-performing schools. Results from this investigation suggest avenues for future research and implications for rural secondary schools.

Author

• Jesse Wood, Lee University