THE ROLE OF KORU ON PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ STRESS, ANXIETY, AND MINDFULNESS LEVELS

Abstract

This study examined whether the Koru mindfulness intervention led to improved wellness outcomes, as evidenced by decreases in anxiety and stress scores, and increases in mindfulness scores of preservice teachers. This study also investigated the extent to which participants implemented the Koru intervention with fidelity and were satisfied with the intervention. The research is guided by the following questions: (1) To what extent do preservice teachers who volunteered and were randomly selected for a mindfulness practice (MP) intervention implement the intervention with fidelity (i.e., come to the workshop and practice at home) throughout the period of the intervention? (2) How satisfied are participants with the intervention throughout and at the end of the intervention? (3) To what degree does intervention participation affect students’ stress levels, as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983)? (4) To what degree does intervention participation affect students’ anxiety levels, as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI-Y; STAI-Y; Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg, & Jacobs, 1983)? (5) To what degree does intervention participation affect students’ mindfulness levels, as measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003)? Major findings from this study demonstrate that Koru did significantly reduce preservice teachers’ anxiety and stress levels; however, no significant effects on mindfulness were observed. Findings from this research show mindfulness training can potentially benefit preservice teachers’ wellness outcomes.