Studies in Mindfulness MSc

Develop best practise in the safe and effective implementation of a mindfulness strategy in your classroom to enhance learning and wellbeing

Suitable for both primary and secondary teachers, this fully online academic and experiential course takes you through key fundamental principles and underpinning theory and science to equip you to safely and effectively implement mindfulness in your classroom and develop your mindful presence in the classroom.

This is for qualified educators who want to utilise mindfulness safely and effectively in the classroom without the need to train as a mindfulness teacher. Teachers participating in the programme and gaining GTC Scotland Professional Recognition in Mindfulness, will integrate mindfulness practice, the facilitating and modelling of mindfulness in the classroom, as a significant aspect of their teaching, professional development and professional achievements.

You will be informed and aware of the purpose, benefits and science behind a range of mindfulness practises and able to evaluate the strengths and limitations of a range of mindfulness resources and apps by drawing on neurobiological research and underpinning theory.

Covering best practise in areas such as ethics, safeguarding and dealing with adverse and religious affects you will gain understanding and ideas to safely implement mindfulness and enhance classroom wellbeing.

Using the mindful practises to build a mindful teacher presence in the classroom to enhance learning and address teacher stress.

Alongside your mindfulness knowledge and experience you will be developing your self-evaluative, reflective and critical thinking skills in the practise of reflective journaling and the professional enquiry project.

Throughout the course you develop your professional enquiry and evaluation skills to develop an informed engagement with plethora of information, resources and apps and the complexity of delivering mindfulness safely and effectively in today’s classroom.

You may take up to 2 years to complete this course, with a minimum of 1 year required.

Please see course website for more information

Course aims

• Enable teachers to investigate and evidence the impact of mindfulness on learners and professional practice.
• Develop knowledge and expertise to implement mindfulness safely in the classroom and lead and share best practise with others.
• Develop skills of rigorous and critical thinking, reflection and self-evaluation.
• Develop enquiring professionals who understand and critically engage with the complexities of delivering mindfulness in the classroom in today’s diverse society

What will I study?

Your course is divided into 4 stages:

Stage A: Discovering mindfulness (online 12 week course or approved equivalent)
Stage B: Mindfulness Practice and Reflection self-study: Journal based reflection (6 months)
Stage C: Mindfulness in the Classroom: Core module (online 12 week module)
Stage D: Continuous Professional Development: Professional Enquiry Project (6-12 months).

Stage A and C online courses offered through the University of Aberdeen’s learning platform. These courses will take you through a range of academic and experiential modules, developing your knowledge and experience in both mindfulness and how to implement mindfulness strategies in the classroom. Some examples of modules taken: Cultivating mindfulness and heartfulness practises, best practise in implementing mindfulness in the classroom, and integrating mindfulness. (It is possible to replace the Discovering Mindfulness course with a course from an approved provider.)

Stage B is a period of reflective journaling allowing you to deepen your personal practise and understanding of the potential impact of mindfulness practises. Stage D is a professional enquiry into an area of personal interest in the field on mindfulness in the classroom, allowing you to develop your enquiry and critical thinking skills.

How you will study

This course is delivered part-time, 100% online. You can study with us anywhere and manage your study hours to suit you. Your teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. 

You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources at your fingertips, including:

• Scorm interactive materials
• videos
• video lectures to stream and download
• reading materials
• the online resources of our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library
• discussion boards with colleagues and tutors.

The Programme:

• Provides Professional Recognition for suitably qualified and experienced teachers, which will enhance and sustain the development of mindfulness in the school environment;
• Extends the knowledge understanding and skills of teacher implementation of mindfulness in the classroom
• Increases professional expectations and rigour with regard to criticality in mindfulness;
• Provides quality assurance in the safe implementation of mindfulness in Scotland’s schools and helps to ensure that professional standards are met;
• Creates a platform for continuing professional development in mindfulness for teachers and other adults;
• Contributes to Professional Update
• Links to the Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning and professional values