A Mindful Approach to Students With Gifts and Talents: A Classroom Action Research Study

In this study, we used an action research approach and quantitative and qualitative data to investigate the need for, implementation of, and outcomes of a mindfulness curriculum with 52 fourth-grade students identified as having gifts and talents. We gathered data throughout the 15-week semester of implementing a mindfulness curriculum. Regular check-ins, journaling with the four participating teacher-researchers, and creative responses from student participants were also used as data. Coming from an action research background, we were open to discovering new questions as they arose. Still, our primary question was: Will we see any measurable change in the behaviors and indicators of stress, emotional regulation, and mindfulness in our classrooms after implementing a mindfulness curriculum with our fourth-grade students? We discuss the results and the implications of our findings for future research and practice.