According to a study, practicing meditation in school, on a regular basis can improve students’ social and emotional competence as well as reduce stress. Developing these skills as a part of the curriculum not only help students enjoy a greater social and emotional well being but also help them perform better in studies.
Social-emotional learning is increasingly finding prominence as a goal in education. It includes self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and goal-directed behaviour.
“Middle school is an especially formative time and poses a major opportunity to provide students with the tools to develop positive social relationships, responsible decision-making, and healthy behaviours,” said Valosek, lead author of the study published in the journal Education.
“We’re encouraged by the results demonstrating the value of a Quiet Time programme to enhance social-emotional learning and mental health in middle school students,” Valosek said.
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The study was for a four-month-long period with over 50 sixth grade students. They took part in the ‘Quiet Time’ program where Transcendental meditation was practiced and then it was matched with 50 students from the same urban public school.
It was found that there was a significant increase in overall social-emotional competency in the group that was practicing meditation.
These results have implications for schools looking to implement evidence-based programs for student social-emotional learning and mental health, researchers said.