Abstract

The present research explores the effects of school-based metacognition and mindfulness interventions to improve emotion regulation in primary school children. Children with effective emotion regulation skills have better outcomes in wellbeing, academic achievement and life-satisfaction. Improving regulation skills can help to prevent depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. Previous literature suggests that emotion regulation can be improved by mindfulness interventions, delivered in primary-school settings. Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) tend to be a combination of taught material and meditative practice but it is unclear how each of these elements contribute to outcomes. Felver et al. (2016) suggested that an exploration of these different elements would be beneficial, and this exploration forms the basis of this thesis.
A series of five quasi-randomised controlled trials were carried out to explore the effects of a classroom-based mindful meditation alone, and in combination with a structured thinking activity or a separate taught component. Finally the effectiveness of a pre-recorded integrated programme, combining mindful meditation and a taught component was examined. Measures were included on attentional outcomes (selective and sustained attention, and mindful awareness), cognitive appraisal (emotion recognition, anxiety and affect) and emotional response (academic outcomes, coping and anger). Each study included 9-11 year old children who attended mainstream schools.
The findings from the experimental series suggest that mindfulness based interventions do significantly improve aspects of emotion regulation. However, mindfulness based interventions with a taught component (MBI+) are more effective than mindfulness alone. MBI+ showed improvement across attentional outcomes, cognitive appraisal and emotional response. This was the case for both classroom-based and pre-recorded delivery.
To better understand the mechanisms of change, future research needs to provide in-depth, qualitative knowledge of pre-adolescent participants’ application of mindfulness and metacognitive strategies. With the increasing mental health challenges evident in primary schools, due in part to the COVID 19 pandemic, the effectiveness and feasibility of a pre-recorded programme should be explored further. This mode of delivery would mitigate some of the challenges surrounding staff knowledge and expertise within the primary school environment.