The effects of mindfulness on teachers' self-efficacy in primary education

There is accumulating evidence that teachers' sense of self-efficacy affects students on various levels, such as their well-being, motivation and own self-efficacy. Looking, therefore, at ways to increase teachers' self-efficacy is one possible way to counteract the growing stress levels among teachers and their students. Mindfulness has been shown to affect well-being and emotion regulation strategies, which both in turn affect self-efficacy. Therefore, this study investigates the association between mindfulness, well-being, emotion-regulation, and teachers' self-efficacy, and whether mindfulness directly affects teachers' sense of selfefficacy. A cross-sectional online questionnaire was employed to a sample of 22 Dutch primary school teachers. Correlations between mindfulness and teachers' sense of selfefficacy showed no statistically significant association (r (20) = -.005, p = .491). Multiple Regression Analysis sustained the correlational results with F (4, 17) = 3.380, p <.05). Not met assumptions, low power, and insufficient data regarding the well-being questionnaire call for caution regarding the generalizability of the results. Conclusively, the cultivation of mindfulness alone is not sufficient for enhancing teacher's sense of self-efficacy. A more holistic approach could be investigated by further research to help to find adequate strategies for enhancing the sense of self-efficacy among primary school teachers.