Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum & Instruction

First Advisor

Pauli Badenhorst

Second Advisor

Laura Jewett

Third Advisor

Sara Ahmadi

Abstract

The demands of contemporary education have contributed to high levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout among educators (Barton, 2019; Hidajat et al., 2023; Walker, 2022), uncovering a need for pedagogical approaches that prioritize holistic well-being and humanize the learning experience (Palmer, 2009; Salazar, 2013; Wong & Mishra, 2020). This qualitative case study investigates how moments of mindfulness, integrated as curricular practice within a teacher education program at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), nurtures pre-service teachers’ awareness of the self and world. This study explores aspects of mindfulness from its Eastern origins (Thich Nhat Hanh, 1975) and its Western secular applications (Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1994), together with the culturally relevant lived realities of participants within a borderlands context through critical border perspectives (Gloria Anzaldua, 2012, 2015) and contemplative pedagogical insights (Beth Berila, 2016; Oren Ergas, 2017a; Arthur Zajonc, 2009; Parker Palmer, 2009; Doug Selwyn, 2019; Peter Senge, 2004).

By conducting a case study approach, this research was able to explore the subjective lived experiences and personal perceptions of practices which include aspects of mindfulness, of fourteen pre-service educators. Data was collected through nine embedded weekly Mindful Moment assignments and post-semester, one-to-one interviews, allowing for an in-depth analysis of findings. Thematic analysis revealed five core themes- emotional and mental well-being, cognitive awareness and reflection, interpersonal relationships and communication, motivation and personal growth, and challenges. Participants reported significant positive impacts including enhanced emotional regulation, reduced stress, increased self-acceptance, improved mental clarity, greater self-reflection, and increased ability to move through complex family and cultural dynamics, while challenges such as unfamiliarity and constraints with time were also present.

This study provides evidence that including mindful moments as an embedded addition within teacher education programs, can humanize the learning experience by connecting to intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, moving away from traditional instrumentalist models (Freire, 2000; Lewis, 2007). This can equip individuals with personal well-being practices that help to create compassionate, culturally responsive, and effective learning environments (Henriksen et al., 2022), allowing individuals to holistically prepare for the demands and the complexities of both the profession and the world.

Comments

Copyright 2025 Yvette Angeline. All Rights Reserved.

https://proquest.com/docview/3248178303

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