Summary:
Meditation programs in schools have gained interest due to their potential to improve attention, emotional regulation, executive functioning and social-emotional wellbeing. However, evidence for their effectiveness remains limited, with previous studies showing mixed results due to differences in program design and study quality. This feasibility study evaluated the implementation of the Quiet Time (QT) program, a classroom-based transcendental meditation intervention, in primary schools across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Unlike mindfulness, which focuses on awareness of present experiences, transcendental meditation involves silently repeating a mantra to promote relaxed awareness. Students practised the technique for 10-15 minutes twice daily. The study assessed whether QT could be successfully implemented in schools, whether it was acceptable to students, teachers and parents, and whether it was suitable for a larger trial. Children aged 10-11 years completed assessments before and after the intervention measuring executive functioning, social relationships, mental health, emotional wellbeing, growth mindset and academic performance. Implementation was generally successful, although delivery varied due to school schedules and examination periods. Preliminary findings indicated improvements in executive functioning, particularly working memory, across both countries. The Irish sample also showed some improvements in response inhibition (the ability to pause before acting), while effects on emotional, social and academic outcomes were inconsistent. Overall, the findings suggest QT is a feasible and acceptable school-based intervention, supporting the need for larger randomised controlled trials to determine its impact on children’s cognitive, social and emotional development.
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Abstract:
This manuscript presents a demonstration study of Quiet Time (QT), a classroom-based Transcendental Meditation intervention. The aim of the study is to assess the feasibility of implementing and evaluating QT in two pilot settings in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This study contributes to the field by targeting middle childhood, testing efficiency in two settings operating under different educational systems, and including a large array of measures. First, teacher and pupil engagement with QT was assessed. Second, the feasibility of using a quasi-experimental design and a wide range of instruments to measure changes in pupil outcomes before and after the intervention was assessed. This allows us to obtain information about which instruments might be feasible to administer and most sensitive to change. The first setting included 89 students from a primary school in the United Kingdom: those in sixth grade received the QT intervention, while those in fifth grade practiced meditation using the Headspace application. The second setting included 100 fifth- and sixth-grade students from two schools in Ireland: one received the QT intervention, the other served as a control. Recruitment and retention rates were high in both settings, and the intervention was feasible and accepted by students, parents and teachers. Implementation fidelity was lower in the United Kingdom setting where delivery started later in the school year and the practice was affected by preparation for the Standard Assessment Tests. These results show that QT may be feasibly delivered in school settings, and suggest the use of a compact battery of tests to measure impact. We find suggestive evidence that the intervention affected executive function as children who practiced QT showed improved working memory in both settings. In the Irish setting, pupils in the QT group had improved ability to control responses. These results have implications for future studies by a) demonstrating that implementation fidelity is highly context dependent and b) providing suggestive evidence of the malleability of children’s skills in middle childhood. The results of this demonstration study will be used to inform a larger RCT of the QT intervention.
Article Publication Date: 24/01/2022
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.765158
