Wagoner Christou, Nanette
(2023)
Towards a Theoretically Informed Practice:
A Study of Koru Mindfulness Teachers in Higher Education.
Doctor of Education thesis, University of Liverpool.
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Abstract
Mindfulness is gaining acceptance and use in many sectors of society, including education. As a pedagogical tool, mindfulness is one of many contemplative practices used within Contemplative Education (CE) to enhance student learning. Mindfulness is also part of the growing number of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). Within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), MBIs are increasingly accessible through student services and other well-being initiatives to assist students in navigating academic life. The growing body of research carried out across a wide variety of disciplines and diverse cultural contexts points to the increasing global use of mindfulness in higher education (HE). However, research on mindfulness teachers is relatively limited compared to research on students. This study aims to inform, empower, and challenge current practice and teacher training in mindfulness by providing an investigation into the lived experience of a group of mindfulness teachers in higher education. This study investigates 12 participants and the researcher. Participants were Koru Mindfulness teachers working in higher education. Koru Mindfulness is a stand-alone mindfulness curriculum designed for 18–28-year-olds. All participants were trained Koru Mindfulness teachers working in HEIs. The study used the Transcendental Method for Research with Human Subjects (TMRHS). TMRHS is a qualitative research method that draws from thematic analysis and is grounded in the phenomenology of Husserl and the critical realist Lonergan's theory of cognition. TMRHS guides participants and researchers through a systematic reflective process. Results indicated that mindfulness teachers go through an identifiable process by which they both claim and embody the role of mindfulness teachers. Underpinning mindfulness teachers' decision to teach is a desire to reduce suffering and increase student well-being. They are informed and influenced by their personal contemplative experiences, values, and spirituality. Archer's morphogenic approach provided a theoretical framework to inform understanding of the proposed identifiable process of claiming and embodying the role of mindfulness teacher. This theoretically informed analysis at the intersection of higher education and mindfulness teaching provides a framework to consider research and practice and possible avenues for impact. However, at the core of this study is an individual's agency and decision-making. The personal aspect of teaching is paramount when considering risk reduction, enhancing best practices, and responding to some of the most ardent criticisms of mindfulness teaching. Keywords: mindfulness teaching, higher education, Koru Mindfulness, morphogenic approach
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctor of Education) |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Jul 2023 15:43 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Jul 2023 15:43 |
| DOI: | 10.17638/03169394 |
| Supervisors: |
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| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3169394 |
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