Perspectives on a whole class mindfulness programme

This study sought to establish pupil and teacher views about a six-hour, whole-class mindfulness programme called Paws .b. Pupil post-intervention focus groups and teacher semi-structured interviews were used to ascertain what was interesting and useful about Paws .b, and how it could be developed. Audio recordings were transcribed and thematically analysed. Findings indicated the vast majority of pupils enjoyed the Paws .b and it was deemed to be both accessible to pupils and feasible for teachers to deliver. A number of themes highlighted the impact of Paws .b upon pupils’ attention but also on their metacognition and social/ emotional functioning, both within and beyond the classroom. Several potentially fruitful adaptations were also proposed. Findings are discussed relative to mindfulness and educational psychology literature, and future directions for research are outlined.