Mindfulness-based teacher training, formation and competency

The Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice (CMRP) is at the forefront of teacher training programme development in the UK. Our teacher training programmes undergo continual refinement and development informed by our own observations and participant feedback. We are now conducting research which will further inform the development of teacher training and formation processes, our understanding of the programme and of competency in teaching it.

Research Interests

Building on our experience of engaging personally in teacher training processes and delivering them to our trainees we are keen to investigate the following questions:

  • What does mindfulness-based teaching competency look like?/What are the ingredients of competent teaching?
  • What factors are associated with mindfulness-based teaching competency?
  • How does teaching competency develop over time?
  • Does higher teaching competency (as measured by the criteria we have developed) lead to better outcomes for participants?
  • How can we reliably assess teaching competency?
  • What are the critical factors within the curriculum of mindfulness-based programmes which relate to positive outcomes for participants?
  • How can training programmes best develop key mindfulness-based teaching skills?

Current research Projects

The Psychometric Properties of the Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teaching Assessment Criteria’ (funded by a British Academy grant). In collaboration with the mindfulness teams at Oxford and Exeter University we have led the development of comprehensive assessment criteria of teaching competency. Each of the three centres has been piloting the use of these criteria to assess teaching competency within their master’s and research programmes. We are collecting the data on this and will be analyzing it to assess the reliability and validity of the assessment criteria.

The Factors Associated with Mindfulness-Based Teaching Competency: In conjunction with the previous study we are collecting data from trainees and research trial MBCT teachers on their background training and experience in a range of areas including mindfulness practice and professional areas. We will analyse this data to assess which aspects of training and experience are linked to higher/lower competency. This information will inform training processes, and the development of good practice guidance for practitioners.

Relevant publications involving Bangor University

Crane, R.S., Soulsby, J.G., Kuyken, W., Williams, J.M.G., Eames, C., (2012) The Bangor, Exeter & Oxford Mindfulness-Based Interventions Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI-TAC) for assessing the competence and adherence of mindfulness-based class-based teaching, Bangor University (www.bangor.ac.uk/mindfulness/documents/MBI-TACMarch2012-1.pdf)

Crane R., Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy - Distinctive Features; Routledge, 2009

Crane, R.S., Eames, C., Kuyken, W., Hastings, R. P.1, Williams, J.M.G., Bartley, T., Evans, A.,Silverton, S., Soulsby, J.G., Surawy, C. (2013) Development and validation of the Mindfulness-Based Interventions – Teaching Assessment Criteria (MBI:TAC), Assessment. doi: 10.1177/1073191113490790 download

Crane, R.S., Kuyken, W., Hastings, R., Rothwell, N., Williams, J.M.G., (2010) Training teachers to deliver mindfulness-based interventions: learning from the UK experience, Mindfulness 1:74–86. DOI 10.1007/s12671-010-0010-9

Crane R.S., Kuyken, W., Williams, J. M. G., Hastings, R., Cooper, L., Fennell, M.J.V. (2012). Competence in teaching mindfulness-based courses: concepts, development, and assessment, Mindfulness 3:1, 76-84.