Abstract
Teachers who serve children of color in schools that support students from low socio-economic status have turnover rates reported to be as high as 70% (SES; Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). Numerous approaches to teacher retention in low SES settings have been discussed in the literature (Chester & Beaudin, 1996; Donaldson, 2009; Ingersoll & Kralik, 2004; Jacob, 2007; McKinney, Haberman, Stafford-Johnson, & Robinson, 2008; McLaurin, Smith, & Smillie, 2009; Siwatu, Frazier, Osaghae, & Starker, 2011; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, & Carver-Thomas, 2016; Taylor & Frankenberg, 2009), but the use of emerging biofeedback technology is an unexplored territory. This type of technology could help novice teachers understand basic changes in stress levels through awareness of the body and mind while teaching. Hence, the potential use of biofeedback strategies to reduce stress levels in teachers, in inclusive settings, that serve students with low SES is explored. To help potentially reduce novice teachers' stress levels (Friedman, 2000; Day & Hong, 2016; Isenbarger & Zembylas, 2006), the researcher explored the effectiveness of biofeedback on breathing rates of teachers in inclusive classrooms serving more than 50% of students from low SES backgrounds. The researcher found, by tracking the rate of stressed breathing of 9 teachers during the instructional day, that teachers reported they were more mindful of their breathing. The researcher found meetings, paperwork, and student behaviors increased their stress and suggested better mentorship as a way to help reduce stress. The paper concludes with implications for practice, and recommendations for future research for teachers is provided.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2018
Semester
Summer
Advisor
Dieker, Lisa
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Education and Human Performance
Degree Program
Education; Exceptional Education
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0007179
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0007179
Language
English
Release Date
August 2018
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Fulchini, Angelica, "Exploring Stress for Novice Teachers' in Low Socio-Economic Elementary Schools Through Breathing Biofeedback" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5977.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/5977