Mindfulness has become increasingly popular in elementary and secondary schools, outpacing the research. Even with an expansion of robust RCTs, enthusiasm to adopt K-12 programs may be premature given the extent of unanswered questions. Using a heuristic of implementation elements, this seminar will explore promising pathways for the next phase of mindfulness research in education and offer a framework for thinking about the implementation of whole-school mindfulness.
About the Presenter
Deborah Schussler is a Professor of Education in the Educational Leadership program at The Pennsylvania State University. She is also an Affiliate at the Prevention Research Center and Rock Ethics Institute. She was a high school English teacher for 5 years before becoming a teacher educator.
Deborah’s research interests include exploring how prospective teachers acquire the necessary dispositions to meet the needs of all learners. Specifically, Deborah has examined the epistemological nature of dispositions and how teacher education fosters awareness of dispositions to enhance prospective teachers’ knowledge, skills, and moral sensibilities. Teachers who are reflective and mindful about their intended aims and how they achieve those aims in their practice, are better prepared to nurture the academic and social-emotional development of their learners. Therefore, Deborah’s recent work has strategically focused on mindfulness-based programs designed to enhance teachers’ social-emotional competencies and communication skills.
