48 Chapter 3 Qualitative research To get more in-depth insight into the effects of the MBSR-training, qualitative interviews with teachers will be conducted between 8 and 10 weeks after participating in the MBSR training. Purposive sampling will be used to include a subset of teachers with different backgrounds. The interviews will be semi-structured focusing on the main topic: How did the MBSR-program affect your ability to function as a teacher? We will process and analyze the qualitative data by using Atlas.Ti. Interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. We will return a summary of the interview to the participants for member-checking. Two independent raters will code the data to minimize subjectivity. We will begin analysis as soon as the first data are collected and will continue with each additional interview. The constant comparison method will be used to analyze the data until saturation has been reached. This procedure is comparable to those used in other qualitative studies (e.g. Verweij, et al., 2018). DISCUSSION There is a lack of evidence-based effective interventions targeting stress/work-related problems in elementary school teachers. At the same time, many school organizations are looking for a way to reduce teachers’ stress perception and to reduce absenteeism without loss of quality with regard to teaching, education quality, or pupils’ achievements. From previous studies, it can be concluded that MBSR is a promising intervention for stress reduction in healthy subjects (Meiklejohn et al., 2012; Tang et al., 2015; Khoury et al., 2015; Goldberg et al., 2018). However, it is unknown whether MBSR is appropriate and effective for stress-reduction in teachers in primary education. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of MBSR on elementary school teachers’ perceived stress, absenteeism and mental health, their teaching skills (with an emphasis on emotion regulation), classroom climate quality, and pupil-teacher relationship. Strengths and limitations A strength of the current study design is that it not only assesses immediate effects, but also includes a follow-up after 3 months. This will allow us to test both the short and midterm effects of the MBSR program. We also included a broad set of outcomes. Second, the implications of this study may be important for both the regular and academic training of elementary school teachers. If the present study indicates that the program is effective in reducing stress, these educational systems may structurally integrate the program into their curriculum, thereby increasing both the personal resilience and the professional development of teachers nationwide. A third strength of the study is that the trainer in the present study has a longstanding career as a teacher and principal in primary education in addition to being a qualified mindfulness teacher.
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