Abstract We report the results of a quasi-experimental
study evaluating the effectiveness of the Mindfulness
Education (ME) program. ME is a theoretically derived,
teacher-taught universal preventive intervention that focuses
on facilitating the development of social and emotional
competence and positive emotions, and has as its cornerstone
daily lessons in which students engage in mindful
attention training (three times a day). Pre- and early
adolescent students in the 4th to 7th grades (N=246) drawn
from six ME program classrooms and six comparison
classrooms (wait-list controls) completed pretest and
posttest self-report measures assessing optimism, general
and school self-concept, and positive and negative affect.
Teachers rated pre- and early adolescents on dimensions of
classroom social and emotional competence. Results
revealed that pre- and early adolescents who participated
in the ME program, compared to those who did not,
showed significant increases in optimism from pretest to
posttest. Similarly, improvements on dimensions of teacherrated
classroom social competent behaviors were found
favoring ME program students. Program effects also were
found for self-concept, although the ME program demonstrated
more positive benefits for preadolescents than for
early adolescents. Teacher reports of implementation
fidelity and dosage for the mindfulness activities were high
and teachers reported that they were easily able to integrate
the mindful attention exercises within their classrooms.
Theoretical issues linking mindful attention awareness to
social and emotional competence and implications for the
development of school-based interventions are discussed.