Student Teachers’ Perspectives on Mindfulness-Based Approaches to Teaching and Classroom Management in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Mindfulness-based approaches may offer practical possibilities for improving teaching and classroom management by promoting calmness, awareness, emotional regulation, and thoughtful responses to student behaviour. This study examined the perspectives of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) student teachers in Sri Lanka regarding the suitability and application of such approaches in school teaching and classroom management. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed with 44 student teachers from several Sri Lankan universities, representing Years 1–4. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire comprising five-point Likert-scale items and open-ended questions, analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, respectively. Participants reported positive perspectives on mindfulness as a teacher quality (M = 4.48), its contribution to professional skills (M = 4.59), patient communication (M = 4.55), calm responses to challenging situations (M = 4.45), and stress reduction (M = 4.43). Overall, 95.5% agreed that mindfulness enhances teaching effectiveness. Qualitative findings suggested breathing exercises, grounding activities, reflective practices, relaxation music, and calming sounds as potential classroom approaches, while limited time, syllabus demands, and inadequate training were identified as challenges. The findings support considering practical, inclusive, and non-religiously prescriptive mindfulness-based approaches within teacher education and wider school education in Sri Lanka, while recognising the need for appropriate training and context-sensitive implementation.

Keywords

• Mindfulness-Based Approaches
• Teaching
• Classroom Management
• Student Teacher
• Teacher Education
• Sri Lanka

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