Mindfulness and Learning

Books:

Hyland, Terry, 2011, Mindfulness and Learning: Celebrating the Affective Dimension of Education. Series: Lifelong Learning Book Series, Vol. 17, Springer Publications.  1st Edition, 2011. Hardcover, ISBN 978-94-007-1910-1

In this book Professor Terry Hyland addresses the fact that in recent decades education at all levels has been seriously impoverished by a growing obsession with standards, targets, skills and competences.  According to this model, only a circumscribed range of basic cognitive skills and competences are the business of education, whose main role is to provide employability credentials for people competing for jobs in the global economy. The result is a one-dimensional, economistic and bleakly utilitarian conception of the educational task.

In Mindfulness and Learning: Celebrating the Affective Dimension of Education, Terry Hyland advances the thesis that education stands in need of a rejuvenation of its affective function – the impact it has on the emotional, social, moral and personal development of learners. Drawing on the Buddhist conception of mindfulness, he advances a powerful argument for redressing this imbalance by enhancing the affective domain of learning.

Mindfulness and Learning: Celebrating the Affective Dimension of Education shows how the concept and practice of ‘mindfulness’ – non-judgmental, present moment awareness and experience – can enrich learning at all levels. Mindfulness thus contributes to the enhanced achievement of general educational goals, and helps remedy the gross deficiency of the affective/emotional aspects of contemporary theory and practice.

Professor Hyland outlines a mindfulness-based affective education (MBAE) programme and shows how it might be introduced into educational provision from the early years to adult education with a view to harmonising the cognitive-affective balance across the system.  Please find a link to this book on our “links” page.

Greco L. A., Blackledge J. T., Coyne L.W., and Ehrenreich J., 2005, Integrating Acceptance and Mindfulness into Treatments for Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as an Example. Susan M. Orsillo and Lizabeth Roemer (eds.) Acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches to anxiety: Conceptualization and treatment, (Series in anxiety and related disorders) New York: Springer Science + Business Media.

Semple R. J., Reid E.F.G. and Miller L., 2006, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for children. Chapter 7 in Ruth Baer (ed.) Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches: Clinician’s Guide to Evidence Base and Applications (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional Series). New York: Elsevier Academic Press.

Wagner E. E., Rathus J.H., and Miller A.L., 2006, Mindfulness in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for adolescents. Chapter 8 in Ruth Baer (ed.) Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches: Clinician’s Guide to Evidence Base and Applications (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional Series). New York: Elsevier Academic Press.

Journal articles:

Baer R.A., 2003, ‘Mindfulness Training as a Clinical Intervention: A Conceptual and Empirical Review,’ Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2): 125-143.

Birnbaum L.,  2005 Jun 23, Adolescent aggression and differentiation of self: guided mindfulness meditation in the service of individuation. The Scientific World Journal [electronic resource]. Vol. 5, 478-489.

Grossman P., Niemann M.A., Schmidt S., Walach H., 2003, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Health Benefits: A Meta-Analysis, (In Press), Journal of Psychosomatic Research.

Napoli M., 2005, Mindfulness Training for Elementary School Students: The Attention Academy. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 21 (1), 99-125.

Semple R. J., Reid E.F.G. and Miller L., 2005, Treating anxiety with mindfulness: An open trial of mindfulness training for anxious children. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 19 (4), 379-392.

Singh N.N., Wechsler H. A., Curits W. J., Sabaawi M. et al., 2002, Effects of role-play and mindfulness training on enhancing the family friendliness of the admissions treatment team process. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 10 (2), 90-98.

Wall R. B., 2005, Tai Chi and mindfulness-based stress reduction in a Boston Public Middle School. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 19 (4), 230-237.