You are on page 1of 18

1

The Impact of Meditation Techniques Among College Students

A Dissertation
Presented to the
Faculty of
California State University,
San Bernardino

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Education
in
Educational Leadership

by
Alejandro Jazan
December 2016

The Impact of Meditation Techniques Among College Students

A Dissertation
Presented to the
Faculty of
California State University,
San Bernardino

by
Alejandro Jazan
December 2016
Approved by:

Joan Jones, Committee Chair, Education


John Moor, Committee Member
Jackie Smith, Committee Member

2016 Alejandro Jazan


TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Problem Statement......................................................................................1
Purpose Statement.....................................................................................2
Research Questions................3
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Meditation and Stress..................................................................................6
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
Research Design.........................................................................................9
REFERENCES......................................................................................................v
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The current demands placed on students enrolled in higher education are
significant. Students experience a great deal of stress and uncertainties in
addition to meeting the inherent rigors placed upon them (Oswalt & Riddock,
2007). This is concerning because many students who enter the doors of
community colleges and four-year comprehensive institutions do not graduate
(Callan, 2009).
Students stress is a significant problem. This proposal identifies the
problem with stress and anxiety felt from students in higher education. The
purpose of the study will include essential questions to address the

aforementioned problem. Furthermore, the study will assert the significance,


assumptions, delimitations, and definitions of key terms.
Problem Statement
There are a low number of students who are graduating from colleges and
universities in the United States of America. Institutions of higher education are
continually perpetuating stratification of social inequalities among their
constituents (Brint & Carabel, 1989). Many students are forced to quit their
pursuit of a degree in higher education due to extraneous issues such as family
problems and the inability to pay for college classes.
With the increasing value of a collegiate terminal degree it is imperative
that students who are eligible to attend a university system in California should
be able to be admitted and eventually graduate. In todays 21 st-century context,
there is a gap between eligible students applying for admission and those who
are actually admitted (Brint, & Karabel, 1989).
There has been tremendous growth in the number of students graduating
high school and entering the college system (Sisqueros, 2015). Most specifically,
the current college age population is increasing (Sisqueros, 2015). The current
infrastructure and facilities in place are not keeping up with the increased
demand that is seen presently. As a result, the lack of available space for eligible
students impedes the opportunity to enter the doors of CSU institutions as well
as UC institutions.
Purpose Statement

Students who are new to higher education need strong skills to cope with
the large amounts of stress that they experience. Many students are unable to
adapt to the demand that are placed upon them while in school. Contemplative
education has not typically formed throughout the curriculum in the Western
world (Waters, Barksy, Ridd, & Allen, 2015). There is sufficient research on
meditation as a technique to help alleviate student anxiety with public speaking
(Fling, Thomas, & Gallaher, 1981; Kirsch & Henry, 1979). However, there has
been limited research into the effects of meditation techniques and student
success for community colleges. Although there have been studies that have
investigated the effects of meditation programs on school campuses, the topic
has been relatively unexplored from a Western philosophical perspective.
The goal of the study is to uncover what specific meditation techniques
are effective in helping relieve the stress and anxiety that students currently feel
in community college. To succeed and thrive in todays educational context,
students need strong skills to cope with stress and anxiety. This study will
develop which meditation techniques are most beneficial for students.
Research Questions
This study will focus on these aforementioned questions regarding which
meditation techniques are most effective in reducing stress among college
students. The three research questions are:
RQ1: What are the effects of transcendental meditation on mindfulness?

RQ2: What is the relationship between transcendental meditation a


reducing stress and anxiety?
RQ3: Does meditation improve grade-point average among at-risk, first
generation community college students?
Significance of the Study
People have practiced meditation for thousands of years and it has been
relatively unexplored in Western scholarship. The empirical research
indicating that there is a connection between student successes of
meditation is in its infancy. There has been limited research examining the
neurological effects of meditation. The results of the study can alleviate
the doubts that educational leaders hold regarding institutionalization of
meditation programs.
Theoretical Underpinnings
This study will examine the theoretical framework proposed by
Gudykunst Anxiety Uncertainty Management (AUM) theory (Gao &
Gudykunst, 1990).
Assumptions
Articulating assumptions regarding this study is imperative. There is
an assumption forwarded that if there is a way to help alleviate students
stress, then that should have a positive effect on student success.
Furthermore, another assumption forwarded consists of the mindfulness
associated with meditation. The more people meditate the more they will

be present in the moment which is associated with mindfulness.


Furthermore, meditation then should have a positive effect on student
success.
Delimitations
The nature of the study is to explore meditation and the effects the
practice has on community college students. There have been empirical
investigations into meditation effects among youth (Waters, et al., 2015).
There are numerous variables that can be investigated in this study, such
as emotional intelligence (EQ) and spiritual intelligence (SQ). Stress and
anxiety are emotions that are ubiquitous among students attending
institutions of higher education.

Definitions of key terms


1 Stress- the inability to cope with the perceived (real or
imaginary) threat to ones mental, physical, emotional, and
spiritual well-being which results in a series of physiological
responses in adaptations (Seaward, 2002, p.4).
2 Meditation- refers to the deliberate act of regulating attention
through the observation of thoughts, emotions, and body states
(Waters, Barsky, & Allen, 2015, p. 104).
3 Mindfulness- process of self-regulation of attention (a
metacognitive skill) consisting of both mentoring and control of

cognitive processes (Bishop, Lau, Shapiro, Carlson, Anderson,


Carmody, 2004, p. 235).
Summary
Student retention is important for institutions of higher education. Currently
there are a high number of students who drop out of higher education (Callan,
2009). Examining what factors can be used to help students alleviate high levels
of stress is warranted. In this study, the relationship between stress and anxiety
and meditation will be explored with the intention of creating solid and sound
meditation programs for community colleges across the nation. The next chapter
will address the literature that discusses meditation and education.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
There have been many studies that have shown the effects of meditation
(Compton & Becker, 1983; Fling, 1981). There have been many positive
outcomes that are inherent to meditation including relaxation, connectedness,
and more focused concentration (Gallegos, Hoerger, Talbot, Krasner, Knight,
Moynihan, & Duberstein, 2013). Students who progress through the curricular
pipeline experience stress and anxiety throughout their educational career.
Problems that arise in todays educational context may be combated by more
mindful meditation techniques. Meditation can help alleviate student uneasiness
and anxiety that is too commonplace throughout college campuses.

10

One subject that has shown to produce a lot of anxiety is public speaking.
Studies have shown that meditation techniques can help alleviate public
speaking anxiety (Kirsch & Henry, 1979; Huston, 2010). There are many different
types of desensitization activities that may be effective in reducing public
speaking anxiety (Kirsch & Henry, 1979). Research on meditation has tended to
investigate the technique for enhancing relaxation responses in decreasing
anxiety (Compton & Becker, 1983). By having students use contemplative
curricular activities students are encouraged to look inward for solutions
(Newman, 2008; Leoni, 2006). Contemplative practices can transform
classrooms and help students learn intrinsic communication concepts (Huston,
2010).
Far too often, students experience a great deal of stress obtaining a
college education (Waters, Barsky, Ridd, & Allen, 2014; Oswalt & Riddock, 2007).
College students report feeling stressed about grades and earning degrees.
Different extraneous factors such as excessive homework, time commitments,
financial constraints, and relationships were stressors (Oswalt & Riddock, 2007).
The use of mindfulness meditation techniques has been shown to help alleviate
different sources of stress source. Houston (2010) indicates that mindfulness
meditation can help enhance student learning within communication courses.
The more stress that students feel the more difficult it is for them to
recover. Using intervention program such as mindfulness-based stress reduction
(MBSR) which incorporates meditation, yoga, the body scan, and sitting

11

meditation are useful (Gallegos et al., 2013). There are many positive effects
associated with yoga and sitting meditation especially for older adults
experiencing age-related declines and physiological functioning (Gallegos et al.,
2013). Students who practice meditation techniques are able to focus more on
student success.
It is safe to assume that by learning the techniques of meditation, both
novice and seasoned practitioners can stand to benefit (Sussman, 2011). This
literature review examines the effects of meditation techniques, including sitting
meditation and moving meditation, as well as transcendental meditation and how
it is effective with coping mechanisms in college education.
Hooks (2003) talked about using mindfulness techniques such as
meditation to help balance her passion for teaching and for thinking. Teaching
students to be fully present, to enjoy the moment, without fear that this places
their future in jeopardy is essential to mindfulness practice. Helping students to
be in the moment, helping them to be happy at peace, and fulfilled in the moment
is essential to maximizing student success and to creating a positive educational
experience. There have been different institutions of education that have
institutionalized meditation programs (Waters, et al., 2015). A school-based
meditation model has been developed using three strands of research (Waters,
et al., 2015).

12

Summary
The relationship is clear that mindfulness-based and contemplative-based
curriculum can help alleviate stress and help students cope with the tremendous
amount of stress that is placed upon them in higher education environments. The
aforementioned research examines the role that these new meditation practices
have on student success. The studies have shown that there is a connection
between student success in higher education and meditation practice. The
following chapter will describe the research design.

13

CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

Research Design
The research design in this study uses a mixed methods approach. To
date, there have been no longitudinal studies examining the impact of meditation.
Technologies such as EEG and FMR I are being used to show that meditation is
linked with changes in logical structure (Waters, et al., 2015). This study will
utilize the sequential exploratory research design (Schnorr, 2016).

Research Setting
The research conducted in this study will incorporate a traditional
community college in the Coachella Valley in Southern California. This institution
is considered a Hispanic serving institution (HSI).

Research Sample
The research sample will be composed of undergraduate volunteers
completing lower division undergraduate requirements in order to transfer to a
four-year institution. In addition, the sample will include responses from faculty
facilitators as well a student responses.

Research Data
The research data will employ a survey as well as pre and post open-ended

14

questions. Participants are undergraduate students enrolled in a southern


California community college. All students do not live on campus. Recruitment
will be conducted through classroom presentations and special recruitment
sessions. Participants are randomly assigned using the mindfulness-based
stress reduction (MBSR) framework. The MBSR program is self-directed in
nature.

Data Collection
I will obtain permission to conduct an 8-week MBSR training on campus. I
will collect data from the undergraduate volunteers. The participants from the
study will come from across the campus. The course includes a 20 to 30 minute
meditation. Furthermore, instructions will be given for the practice of meditation
during each session. These students will also be instructed to practice outside of
class while the course is in progress. Participation is voluntary and not required.
At the end of the program students will be asked to participate in a web-based
survey.

Data Analysis
Data analysis will consist of using the results from the discussion questions
and on the aforementioned survey. Results from the quantitative questions from
the survey will be analyzed using SPSS for Windows.

15

Validity and Trustworthiness


To uphold the highest level of validity of the study, I will make sure that
participation is completely voluntary and students are not required to participate.
All questions will be asked in the same order and fashion to each participant as
to not skew or contaminate the raw data.

Positionality of the Researcher


As this study unfolds, it is imperative that the researcher in question
embraces the idea that he is an integral part of this study. I will proactively
interview volunteers throughout the eight-week session, as well as code the data.
As a researcher, I will do my best to uphold ethical methodological concerns and
will objectively conduct empirical research.

Summary
This study will serve insightful to the connections and implications
between mindfulness meditation practices and stress reduction. This can
ultimately lead to impacting outcomes of student success in higher education. If
stress is a major contributor to unhealthy lifestyles and student attrition, it is
warranted to examine these variables.

References
Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. C., Carmody, J.
(2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition: Clinical
Psychology: Science and Practice, 11, 230-241.
Brint, S., & Karabel, J. (1989). The divergent dream community colleges and the
promise of educational opportunity in America, 1900-1985. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Callan, P. M. (2009). California Higher Education, The Master Plan, And The
Erosion of College Opportunity. San Jose: The National Center for Public
Policy and Higher Education.
Compton. W. C. & Becker, G. M. (1983). self-actualization's and experience with
Zen meditation: is a learning period necessary for meditation? Journal of
clinical psychology, 925- 930.
Fling, S. T. (1981). Participant characteristics and the effects of two types of
meditation versus quiet sitting. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 784-790.
Gallegos, A. M. (2013). toward identifying the effects of the specific components
of mindfulness-based stress reduction on biologic and emotional
outcomes among older adults. the Journal of Alternative and
Contementary Medicine, 787-792.

Gao, G., & Gudykunst, W, B. (1990). Uncertainty, anxiety, and adaptation.


International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 301-317.
Hooks, B. (2003) Teaching Community. New York: Routledge.
Huston, D. (2010). Waking up to ourselves: the use of mindfulness meditation
and emotional intelligence in the teaching of communications. new
directions for community colleges, 39-50.
Kirsch, I. &. Henry, D. (1979). Self desensitization and meditation in the reduction
of public speaking anxiety. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,
536-541.
Leoni, J. (2006). Communicating quietly: Supporting personal growth with
meditation and listening in schools. Support for Learning, 121-128.
Newman, M. (2008). This self in self-development a rationalist meditates. Adult
Dducation Quarterly, 289-298.
Oswalt, S. R. (2007). What to do about being overwhelmed: Graduate students,
stress and university services. The College Student Affairs Journal, 24-44.
Schnorr, D. (2016). Appendix D: Research Design Guide.
Seaward, B.L. (2002). Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and
Well Being (3rd ed.). Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Siqueiros, M. (2015). Access Denied: Rising Selectivity at California's Public
Universities [Recorded by T. A.-O. McGee]. California.

Sussman, A. K. (2011). The wisdom of the inner life: Meeting oneself through
meditation and music. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education,
55-64.
Waters, l. B., Barsky, A., Ridd, A., Allen, K. (2015). Contemplative education: A
systematic evidence-based review of the effect of meditation interventions
in schools. Educational Psychological Review, 103-134.

You might also like