Abstract

The contribution of mindfulness towards occupational stress is an under-researched aspect of primary school teaching in Ireland and internationally. The purpose of this research is to investigate the consequences for teachers who practise mindfulness. A qualitative approach was used to explore the occupational stressors experienced by primary school teachers and the contribution that mindfulness makes toward stress reduction. The research, involving interviews with 20 primary school teachers in urban and rural schools throughout Ireland, was carried out in 2013.
The research provides evidence of teachers’ ability to respond to occupational stress by internally regulating thoughts and emotions. The consequences of such internal self-regulation proposed by the study include the development of internal teacher attributes, a contribution to professional practice and significant classroom outcomes which contribute to teacher coping skills and resilience. The literature review exposed that there were few frameworks or models relevant to mindfulness and teaching. The ‘Mindfulness in Teaching Model’, which is presented in this thesis, addresses this gap.
Few qualitative research studies have been conducted in Ireland or internationally on how mindfulness impacts on teachers’ lives. This thesis serves to illuminate, for the first time, how the practice of mindfulness affects the effectiveness and professionalism of primary school teachers in Ireland.