Contemplative Pedagogy involves teaching methods designed to cultivate deepened awareness, concentration, and insight (Chick 2010). Studies looking to combat mental health decline have demonstrated that implementation of programs such as mindfulness dramatically reduces stress, depressive qualities, and even anxiety.
1. Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation as a learner engagement principle is unique to Mindfulness in that when students become more self-aware through mindfulness practices. The student’s [intrinsic] motivation and resilience increase because they better comprehend the gravity of outcomes. The three Rs of mindfulness promote intrinsic by design. Relationships, reflection and resilience invigorates the learners’ inner drive to achieve. In addition, mindfulness helps to create compassionate, empathetic students who are engaged in their studies and comfortable in their perspective learning environments. They will take these learned behaviors and utilize them in their careers.
Learning is promoted when the learner perceives the task as beneficial. Relationships, and resilience are core life values. The three works in conjunction to promote mental recharging, social collaboration, and contemplation. The satisfaction the student receives from experiencing the recharging effects of mindfulness will encourage the student to continue to practice. Motivation is promoted when the learner anticipates satisfying outcomes.
2. Learners are encouraged to learn when there is a perceived gap in knowledge.
Mindfulness promotes the student’s inclination to wonder.
The ability for the student to freely experience their surroundings with a healthy curiosity is essential to learner engagement. The curated curiosity creates a gap in knowledge which ignites the desire to learn. The space in the mind created by means of mental stillness is the optimal opportunity to explore unknowns through meditation. The stillness promoted through mindfulness is not only essential to satisfy gaps in knowledge, but the stillness mindfulness also promotes is healthy for the student’s body. The ability to wonder garnered by mindfulness increases the student’s learning capacity. It opens pathways and creates the awareness necessary to promote contemplation. The student’s ability to deepened awareness, concentration, and insight are the goal of effective instructional design. Motivation is promoted when the learner anticipates satisfying outcomes.
3.Motivation to learn is promoted and maintained when learners employ volitional (self-regulatory) strategies to protect their intentions.
The learners’ ability to self-regulate is essential for stilling the mind which allows the student to think critically and accurately process information. Learners have goals beyond accomplishing tasks, learners want experiences. Mindfulness provides the student a soothing calming experience. The calming experience provides the student the opportunity to debrief from previous lessons and to set their attention on the present goal. Different goals interact in complex ways and change over time. For example, there is one type of priority given to growth goals (e.g., to deepen one’s knowledge base); another type of priority is given to maintain emotional well-being. Taking the time to sit still and bring awareness to breathe, sensations, and surroundings helps students self-regulate, clear their minds, and increase feelings of well-being (Browning & Romer, 2020). It also increases empathy and cultivates compassion (Browning & Romer, 2020)
Citations:
R.A. Reiser & J.V. Dempsey (Eds), Trends and Issues in Instructional design and technology. (4th ed.) New York, New York, Pearson (2018.)
Intrinsic motivation, an aspect of mindfulness significantly influences learner engagement. By practicing mindfulness students gain self-awareness and a deeper understanding of the value of their efforts. This heightened awareness boosts their drive and resilience propelling them towards achieving their objectives. The mindfulness pillars. Relationships, reflection and resilience. Reinforce motivation by fueling learners internal motivation to succeed.
Perceived task benefit is another principle for fostering engagement in learning. When students view a task as valuable they are more likely to participate and dedicate their energy to learning (Keller & Deimann, 2018). Mindfulness practices involving rejuvenation, social interaction and contemplation align well with values like relationships and resilience. The satisfaction derived from experiencing the revitalizing effects of mindfulness motivates students to…
Theory 2: Meaningful goals
By promoting mindfulness in a learning environment, an emphasis on increasing self-awareness is placed. Through increased self-awareness, students are better able to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. By recognizing where they are starting from, students are better equipped to set realistic and meaningful goals. Integrating mindfulness through the use of the three R’s (relationships, reflection, and resilience) increases the number of connections between the material and their personal goals. The positive connection between the learning material and their goals provides additional motivation to continue learning and growing.
At a certain point, this creates a pattern where the goals set by students have motivated them to accomplish their goals and continue to set new goals. The new…
Human Performance
The many branches of The Tree of Contemplative Practices are elements in line with the broader perspective of human performance technology. (Keller & Deimann, 2018). The influence of human performance is identified by three major categories capability, opportunity, and motivation. Capability refers to a learner's knowledge prior to instruction. Opportunity refers to the resources a learner is provided with, and motivation is the learner's desire to engage with the instructional activity.
Identifying factors of human performance is essential for motivational design. Each person uses different elements of motivation and volition at different points in their life and education journey. There is not a “one size fits all” strategy, motivation fluctuates. Instructional designers must consider an individual’s psychological traits…
Pedagogical Gaps
Creating a negative space for the learner to mediate provides the opportunity for the imagination to explore what the learner does not now. The ability to develop questions and compare ideas together facilitates the creative-active mind. “The curated curiosity creates a gap in knowledge which ignites the desire to learn. The space in the mind created by means of mental stillness is the optimal opportunity to explore unknowns through meditation.” (Mitchell, 2022). By developing strategies for the learner to explore their unknown knowledge and relate in peer-driven groups are some examples of strategies this article urges for. “When people do not have positive expectancies for successes… they can develop feelings of [learned] helplessness… This condition can be ove…
Sense of Belonging
Mitchell (2022), increases engagement through mindfulness practices. Noting compassion and empathy creates learning environments where students feel comfortable and enabled. Compassion and empathy create a sense of belonging for students (Browning & Romer, 2020). Creating a sense of belonging increases engagement, and can be a predictor of student success (Li et al., 2022). When knowledge is perceived as meaningful to a learner the motivation to learn is promoted (Keller & Diemann, 2018). Creating a sense of belonging contributes to the learner's feelings of competence (Reiser & Dempsey, 2018). In turn, promoting relevance for activities in the learner environment (Reiser & Dempsey, 2018). Contemplative pedagogy reduces stress (Mitchell, 2022) and creates a calming environment for learner engagement (Browning…