Week 12- Independent Research Synthesis
Many are aware of the positive benefits of mindfulness practices. The benefits of decreased stress levels and impacts on temperament and attitude are common knowledge. Another aspect mindfulness practices brought into many individuals lives through the practice is an increased awareness, and greater control over one’s emotions. This aspect of mindfulness is beginning to be explored in connection with understanding racial bias, and working to eliminate it. San Francisco Professor Rhonda Maggee states, ““Research shows that mindfulness practices help us focus, give us greater control over our emotions, and increase our capacity to think clearly and act with purpose... While the research is ongoing, studies are beginning to show that mindfulness meditation and compassion practices serve as potent aids in the work of decreasing bias”.
As many researchers report, rooting out implicit bias is vital to the widespread success of mindfulness-based practices in schools and in the workplace. The incoming research regarding mindfulness’s success on beginning to root out implicit bias is an exciting look into mindfulness’s possible equitable future. Utilizing mindfulness within teacher trainings and succeeding in rooting out implicit bias is the first step in introducing mindfulness-based practices into schools in hopes of seeing all students positively benefit from them.
Did the research give any indication on how schools cab best address implicit bias?
ReplyDeleteThis research along with other research I've done has suggested that providing resources or even mandating teachers to participate in sessions discussing implicit bias is a good way to address these problems. Many times educators are unaware of how their implicit bias is impacting their actions and their students. By providing this information up front and educating teachers on the impacts of implicit bias, teachers may be able to recognize it in themselves and hopefully begin to address their personal biases.
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