Using the Mindfulness Development Program Based on Mastery Learning Principle to Enhance Emotional Intelligence of Teaching Professional Experience Training Students, Mahasarakham University

Abstract

Teaching professional experience training is the important step in the development
of students in all education curriculums. Students need to adjust themselves to the new
experiences and various problems faced during their teaching practice. Emotional intelligence
is crucial for helping students solve problems properly and appropriately. The research
aimed to 1) design a mindfulness development program based on the mastery learning
principle to enhance emotional intelligence, 2) compare emotional intelligence of teaching
professional experience training students before and after the program treatment, 3) analyze
the feasible factors that influence the learning achievement according to program objectives.
Six student teachers who were undertaking the teaching practicum at special education
schools in KhonKaen province during the second semester of academic year 2015 were
purposively sampled. The research instruments consisted of: 1) the mindfulness
development program designed by the researcher; 2) the Emotional intelligent Test
containing 50 multiple-choice questions adapted from the Emotional Quotient: EQ
developed with item discrimination ranging from 4.05 to 20.77. For construct validity,
correlation coefficients were between 0.30-0.83. Besides, the reliability of the overall test
was at 0.88. The test was given to the target group before and after using the mindfulness
development program; 3) the behavior assessment by close relatives consisting of 13 items;
and 4) daily records of the intense mindfulness activity. The data were analyzed by using
statistical analysis including frequency, percentage, mean. In addition, content analysis is
conducted for interpreting the behaviors resembling the emotional intelligence after the
program learning.
The results revealed that;
1) The designing and the development of mindfulness development program based
on mastery learning principle to enhance emotional intelligence. The Rhythm meditation
and walk meditation is using in mindfulness training. The learner needs to practice every
time they learns in a unit. Learners will learn the knowledge about emotional intelligence
through lectures, group activities, game, role-playing, watching video. And group debates.
Program consisted of: 1) Principles and rationale 2) The purpose of the program. 3) Program
Structure 4) The content of learning activities consists of 6 units: Unit 1 is mindfulness of selfawareness. Unit 2 is mindfulness of self-management. Unit 3 is mindfulness of selfmotivation. Unit 4 is mindfulness of knowing the emotions other Unit 5 is conscious of social
skills and relationships with others. Unit 6 mindfulness practice at Sukato temple. 5. Assessment
of learning outcomes
2. The comparison of the emotional intelligence of student teachers before and after
being trained in the mindfulness program showed that their average emotional intelligence
scores after the training was at the high level, higher than their pre-test scores and higher
than the determined criterion of 80 %. In addition, the behavior assessment done later by
close relatives of six students revealed that all students had greater emotional intelligence in
all five areas than prior to the training. For unit 6 of intense mindfulness practice at the
temple, the information from interviewing the monk revealed that all students have learned
to be conscious and had emotional intelligence at a high level.
3. Some feasible factors that influenced the learning achievement of the learners
according to the program objectives included: 1) personality of the learners 2) the variety of
learning activities, 3)the appropriateness of learning contents and materials, 4) the close
supervision aimed for giving feedbacks, and 5) the remedial teaching that was appropriate to
the characteristics of each learner.
Some infeasible factors that influenced the learning achievement of the learners
according to the program objectives included: 1) Period in classroom 2) The background
experience in the practice Mindfulness 3) Insufficient rest / Fatigue 4) Illness.