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Validation of the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale

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Abstract

This article presents the results of a series of studies conducted to develop and validate a self-report measure of the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale. Results from study 1 suggested the presence of two distinct factors measuring teacher intrapersonal mindfulness and teacher interpersonal mindfulness. Both constructs demonstrated strong positive loadings, weak cross-loadings, and adequate internal consistency. In study 2, the validity of these two constructs was confirmed though confirmatory factor analysis. In study 3, we examined the 6-month test–retest reliability, concurrent validity, and predictive validity of scales in a separate sample of 392 teachers. Test–retest reliabilities for both scales were medium–large range. Absolute values of concurrent correlations with measures of teacher burnout and instructional efficacy were in the small-medium range for the teacher interpersonal mindfulness scale whereas teacher intrapersonal mindfulness was unrelated to burnout or instructional efficacy measures. Over a 6-month period, interpersonal mindfulness predicted scores on teacher burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization) and instructional efficacy in working with students (social-emotional and behavior management) whereas intrapersonal mindfulness failed to predict burnout our efficacy measures over this same time period. Results suggest that the Mindfulness in Teaching scale is a promising measure of mindfulness in teachers with good psychometric properties, with the interpersonal subscale predictive of teacher burnout and instructional efficacy over time.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education, Pennsylvania State University, 308 CEDAR Building, University Park, PA, 16802-3108, USA

    Jennifer L. Frank

  2. CISE Department, University of Virginia, Curry School of Education, 206D Bavaro Hall, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA

    Patricia A. Jennings

  3. Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, 306 BBH Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Mark T. Greenberg

Authors
  1. Jennifer L. Frank
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  2. Patricia A. Jennings
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  3. Mark T. Greenberg
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Correspondence to Jennifer L. Frank.

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Frank, J.L., Jennings, P.A. & Greenberg, M.T. Validation of the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale. Mindfulness 7, 155–163 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0461-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0461-0

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