Measuring mindful school culture : development and validation of a scale

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to develop the Mindful School Culture Scale (MSCS) and investigate its psychometric properties. The MSCS is a self-evaluation tool for educators interested in cultivating a mindfulness culture in schools. Methods: Participants were recruited from 28 schools in Hong Kong that were implementing a school-based mindfulness program and developing mindful school culture. The sample consisted of 83 teachers responsible for the development of mindful school culture, 125 teachers not involved in the development, and 2,118 students ranging from Primary 1 to Secondary 3 who participated in the mindfulness program. Results: The findings were mixed. The internal consistency for each subscale and inter-rater reliability for some scales of the MSCS were high. The concurrent validity of the MSCS was supported by statistically significant positive correlations: the Management and Organization subscale correlated with teachers’ team output effectiveness (r(26) = .49, p = .010), and the Student Performance subscale correlated with students’ mindfulness (r(26) = .50, p = .018). However, the data did not support the concurrent validity of the Learning and Teaching and School Ethos and Student Support subscales. The multilevel analysis investigating the predictive power of mindful school culture on student well-being and mindfulness yielded statistically non-significant results, indicating the need for further research and refinement. Conclusions: The MSCS is a practical and helpful tool for educators to measure mindful school culture. The development of the scale is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort in the future.