Children’s perceptions of mindfulness apps for enhanced learning

Abstract

Mindfulness, a practice that focuses on controlling breathing and the flight or fight response, has been used in schools to support students. This study explored student and teacher perceptions of a mindfulness app, Smiling Mind, used in a grade four ESL classroom over 16 weeks to develop emotional regulation to support learning. A mixed-method approach was used to answer the research questions: (1) did the students enjoy the mindfulness app and (2) did they perceive any influences from the app on their behaviour or learning? The results indicate that the students enjoyed and felt calmer using the app. Improvements in on-task behaviour and emotional regulation were also observed.