The Experience of Underrepresented Minority Students of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Who Practice Koru Mindfulness Meditation

• Main Author: Ojaghi, Miriam
• Language: EN
• Published: Aurora University 2017
• Subjects: Educational sociology|Educational psychology|Curriculum development
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10285905

<p> This study investigates the experiences of underrepresented minority students pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) who learned Koru Mindfulness Meditation. Through in-depth qualitative data analysis of participant interviews, Koru Mindfulness check-in sessions, and reflection logs, findings examined student experience prior to, during, and after having completed Koru Mindfulness as well as the impact on their personal and academic lives. While many traditional interventions designed to address the persistent underrepresentation of minorities in STEM employ a deficit model, this study was interested in understanding the socio-historical and contextual complexity of the student experience prior to and during college which included mindfulness training. Findings were discussed through the theoretical framework of critical race theory (CRT) which argues that racism is a permanent construct of society with specific implications for social institutions, including education. This study also examined how stereotype threat (ST) and student sense of belonging were affected by mindfulness training. Finally, this study discusses the findings as they relate to the significance of material space in the context of race in education.</p><p>