How does mindfulness-informed educational coaching help? A mixed-method participatory action research study
Qing Wang, Yiran Tao, Ming Qiao, and Hansika Kapoor
Citation: Wang, Q., Tao, Y., Qiao, M., & Kapoor, H. (2021). ‘How does mindfulness-informed educational coaching help? A mixed-method participatory action research study. ‘International Journal of Coaching Psychology, 2, 5, 1-28. https://ijcp.nationalwellbeingservice.com/volumes/volume-2-2021/volume-2-article-5/
Processing dates: Submitted 8 February, 2021; Resubmitted 7 May, 2021; Accepted 27 May, 2021; Published 17 September, 2021
Abstract
Objectives: The current study focused on an innovative mindfulness-informed educational coaching program (MIEC) with an international school in China and examined its effect on students’ positive learning dispositions.
Methodology: Using a mixed-method participatory action research (PAR) design, four teacher participants with international backgrounds were invited to join in MIEC training. The teachers designed personalized coaching models that were integrated into their daily teaching practices, with 186 students who formed the quasi-experimental group. The control group contained 162 students who followed the regular curriculum taught by
different teachers for a semester. Pre- and post-tests and semi-structured interviews were conducted.
Results: Although pre- and post-intervention statistical results showed that students in the intervention group did not significantly improve their learning dispositions (mindful agency, reflexivity, resilience, and academic self-efficacy) and academic performance, a positive link between mindful agency and students’ grades emerged at the post-test that was unique to the experimental group. Semi-structured interviews with teacher and
student participants in the experimental group acknowledged that MIEC had a positive influence on teacher-student relationship, students’ motivation, attention regulation, and academic affections.
Discussion and Conclusions: The study revealed important issues of collaborative learning disposition development in the international school context using MIEC, which could be a potential approach to developing student learning in social-emotional, motivational, and attentional aspects. The successful implementation of MIEC needs joint efforts of various stakeholders.
Keywords: coaching; cultural differences; learning dispositions; mindfulness; mixed methods, participatory research
Biographies
Qing Wang, PhD., CPsychol is Consulting Editor of International Journal of Coaching Psychology, and Associate Professor in Educational and Coaching Psychology, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
Email: qwang@psy.ecnu.edu.cn
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9369-945X
Yiran Tao is with the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9295-9080
Ming QIao is with the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0086-5720
Hansika Kapoor is with the Department of Psychology, Monk Prayogshala, Mumbai, India, and the Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut, USA
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0805-7752