The MYRIAD project: What has the Mindfulness in Schools Project learned?

We were pleased to see that MYRIAD found that the mindfulness training impacted teachers’ mental health, especially levels of burnout. This is in line with previous research on the beneficial impacts of mindfulness on teachers’ mental health and wellbeing.

Research on our introductory course on mindfulness for teachers has contributed to this positive picture. In 2015 the then-current version (called ‘.b Foundations’) was subject to a control trial involving 89 secondary school staff. Those in the intervention group showed a significant reduction in their stress, and significant increases in their well-being, mindfulness and self-compassion, compared with the control group. The effect sizes were large for all four outcome measures. Given these positive findings, we continue to develop and offer a foundation course in various formats for our teachers. 

The findings of MYRIAD have confirmed the wisdom of ensuring our 5-stage Mindfulness in Schools Pathway begins with an 8-week programme establishing mindfulness for the teacher, to promote their wellbeing and to establish a sound understanding of what mindfulness is, and to promote their wellbeing. This is followed by the development of regular personal practice to give teachers an inside understanding of the sometimes paradoxical nature of mindfulness and the ability to embody it authentically to their pupils. Only then do they follow a recognised MiSP ‘Train to teach’ course enabling them to deliver the relevant age-appropriate programme for children and young people. The MYRIAD findings confirm our confidence in and commitment to the process of putting the teacher’s mindfulness at the heart of school-based mindfulness training. 

We agree with MYRIAD that mental health is a product of a wide range of environmental factors and are pleased to see that the study showed that school climate was improved by training. We strongly support the emphasis on whole school approaches and the suggestion that more attention be paid to the promotion of teacher wellbeing in general. The MYRIAD study contributes to the evidence that mindfulness in general, and the work of MiSP, have an important part to play in creating supportive whole school environments and the promotion of wellbeing of the whole community.

The MYRIAD study contributed to exploring how different types of students respond to mindfulness, looking at the differential impact of several factors,  including gender, ethnicity, mental health status and levels of poverty (see the summary of findings above). These nuanced insights inform the ongoing efforts MISP is making to provide, and encourage in the teachers it trains, a differentiated response. 

We have a strong commitment to making mindfulness engaging and relevant to as wide a range of pupils as possible. We will be supporting the teachers we train to free up their creativity, explore ways to co-create approaches and resources with young people, make their teaching accessible and engaging, and explore different ways of supporting the many and varied needs of a wide range of pupils.

MYRIAD found that pupils at higher risk of mental health problems right now benefitted less than the average. This confirmed our longstanding awareness that pupils with current mental health vulnerabilities require special consideration; similarly that our guidance to the teachers we train is right to emphasise sensitivity to mental health needs and the overriding need to keep pupils safe. 

Since the protocol for the MYRIAD project was established, now 7 years ago, we have become particularly aware of the growing field of trauma-sensitive mindfulness. 

The teachers we train are guided to understand safeguarding and trauma-sensitive mindfulness and we also recommend further trauma-sensitive training. We are conscious that mindfulness practice in a meditation-type format may not be suitable for children who are particularly vulnerable to mental health difficulties. We encourage the teachers we train to ensure their school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or other pastoral stakeholders deselect any particularly vulnerable pupils from mindfulness classes, or provide an appropriate alternative in parallel.

We note that children from less advantaged backgrounds responded more positively to the training. It inspires us to continue our efforts to reach increased numbers of children and young people from economically disadvantaged areas, through fundraising for subsidised training places, in line with our charitable objectives. 

Whilst not that many young people in the MYRIAD study routinely carried out mindfulness practice outside the context of the lesson, those who did enjoy better mental health and wellbeing. Many previous studies, including from our programmes, have demonstrated the relationship between the amount of practice outside the classroom and positive outcomes in the short term. More skilful teachers in the study managed to encourage greater levels of personal practice, while their students showed greater benefit from the training. MISP has always been committed to helping teachers find creative ways to encourage their pupils to engage in practice outside the classroom, in the natural settings in which pupils operate and we continue to develop these approaches. 

We also increasingly acknowledge part of our training for teachers in schools is to enable a fuller understanding of what mindfulness actually is, enabling more people across the lifecourse to access it, having been introduced to knowledge and skills from the earliest age possible.

In the MYRIAD study, teachers reported that they felt that mindfulness had improved the school climate, in particular cultivating greater levels of respect. The MYRIAD study adds to the growing evidence that mindfulness can contribute to the kind of positive whole school context, ethos, climate, and environment which have been shown to have a profound effect on students and staff development and wellbeing. We agree with MYRIAD’s suggestion that there be more research and development on school climate, on integrating mindfulness within broader strategies, and on education policies and school structures that shape school climate. We are incorporating these insights even more vigorously into our ongoing work.

MYRIAD took a programme which been shown to be successful when developed slowly and naturally, delivered on a small scale with teacher-led adaptations, and with schools and with teachers who are naturally drawn to mindfulness. It attempted to discover whether it was possible to scale up a standardised version of the curriculum, with large numbers of schools and teachers, all of whom were new to mindfulness. We would conclude from the results that scaling up mindfulness programmes in this way has proved not to be feasible. We therefore continue to offer our programmes in our normal fashion, on a modest scale, in a steady way and in their natural settings.

If there was ever to be interest (and funding) for a large scale roll out of mindfulness in schools , ensuring there is first a communications campaign amongst teachers and others would be key – i.e. to ensure understanding of what mindfulness is.  Likewise, to stress the invitational nature of this work rather than attempting to conscript all teachers.  As with other subject areas, having teachers trained in an area they are passionate about would continue to be important.

The findings in this case on the lack of impact of mindfulness training on pupil mental health are at both odds with much of the previous research across the field in general, and more specifically with the results of the 2013 trial of 522 pupils of the .b curriculum used, which showed a small but significant impact on pupil stress, depression and wellbeing.  The MYRIAD team commented, “This wasn’t what we had predicted”. 

The moderate (4.5/10) level of popularity of teaching with pupils was also out of line with previous research. The 2013 trial of the .b curriculum found that 7 out of 10 enjoyed the teaching and found it useful.  The feedback data MiSP teachers routinely collect shows that, of 5,000 pupils who have completed class impact surveys, over 80% said they found the .b course enjoyable, and around 70% said they found the course useful.

Readiness to teach may be behind unexpected results. There was a clear difference in terms of teacher selection between how the programme is normally delivered by MiSP and how it had to be designed for the MYRIAD project to meet the strict protocols of a large-scale research project, a very different context. To meet the standards needed for an RCT it was decided that schools were only eligible if they had no previous involvement in mindfulness, and the teachers chosen were excluded if they had previously recently trained in mindfulness. In contrast, in the 2013 trial which formed the pilot for MYRIAD the curriculum was taught by experienced mindfulness teachers with an established practice. 

On average the teachers of the MYRIAD RCT only reached the level of ‘advanced beginner’, a score of 3 out of 6 on a competence scale (where 1 is ‘incompetent’) and defined as just fit for practice ‘at a basic level’. Teachers who fell below this threshold of competence were nevertheless still included in the data collected. We think this decision was unfortunate, and may well help explain the unexpected outcomes. 

We note that teacher competence was influential over positive outcomes too.  The MYRIAD study found that teachers who were most skilled in teaching mindfulness and taught the most classes had the highest rates of young people enjoying mindfulness, practising out of class and learning new skills.

The strongest effects were found for quality of delivery (i.e., teacher competency)… More SBMT (school-based mindfulness training) sessions and better quality of delivery were associated with greater mindfulness practice and responsiveness. 

The teachers who routinely sign up to learn to teach MiSP programmes generally come as volunteers, with a personal interest and often some experience in mindfulness. Schools that approach MiSP generally have had some contact with mindfulness, and usually contain several key members of staff who are interested. The MYRIAD results give us increased confidence in this process. We will be making proactive efforts to reach out to teachers and schools with a natural interest and some prior experience. We will also be seeking ways to communicate to more teachers and schools what mindfulness is.