The Effects of Integrating Mindfulness Exercises into the Elementary Science Curriculum: A Cluster, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I have attached 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Overall, the English was well-written. However, there are sentences that could be further improved by using more varied vocabulary. A thorough revision of the manuscript would enhance its quality and make it a stronger journal submission. 

Author Response

We deeply thank the reviewer for the insightful comments, which helped improve the clarity and flow of the manuscript.

Below, please find our specific responses:

1.Study Rationale and Theoretical Framework

The introduction should be distinct from the literature review. While providing background knowledge is important, only key studies essential for understanding the research and hypotheses should be cited. Additionally, the introduction should clearly articulate the study’s direction. For instance, it should highlight the limited research inthe field and explain the study’s significance. The study’s direction should be explicitly based on prior research findings, demonstrating that a thorough literature review has informed the research approach. Furthermore, the introduction should emphasize the study's significance and value, briefly outlining its objectives, hypotheses, and the contribution of its findings.

ANSWER: We thank the reviewer for this comment. Although the research cited was not reduced, a long paragraph was added at the end of the introduction, emphasizing the study’s significance and contribution “Building on this foundation, the present study aims to assess the effectiveness of a "mindfulness as education" approach by integrating mindfulness practices into the science curriculum. This approach does not merely incorporate mindfulness as an auxiliary activity but embeds its principles within the learning process, emphasizing present-moment awareness, attentional control, and reflective engagement with scientific concepts. By fostering an educational environment where students actively cultivate mindfulness during science instruction, the study seeks to examine its impact on cognitive engagement, intrinsic motivation, and long-term knowledge retention. Through structured mindfulness exercises interwoven with science lessons, students may develop enhanced attentional capacities and a deeper, more meaningful connection with scientific inquiry, while also gaining the benefits of “mindfulness in education”. The study explores whether this pedagogical integration can serve as a transformative educational tool, promoting both academic achievement and personal growth in learners. Despite the growing recognition of mindfulness as a valuable educational tool, research on its integration within subject-specific curricula, particularly in science education, remains scarce. While numerous studies have explored the benefits of mindfulness for general well-being and stress reduction, few have examined its direct impact on cognitive engagement, conceptual understanding, and learning outcomes in science classrooms. This gap underscores the need for empirical investigations into how mindfulness-based approaches can be meaningfully embedded within academic instruction. By addressing this limitation, the present study contributes to an emerging field of research, offering insights into the potential of mindfulness as an instructional strategy that enhances students' attentional focus, curiosity, and conceptual retention. The findings may provide educators with evidence-based practices to foster both cognitive and emotional growth, thereby enriching science education with a holistic learning experience”.

 

 

 

A clearer definition of key terms is necessary. For example, in line 58, the term "Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs)" is introduced, but it would be preferable to define it explicitly before its first mention. Additionally, in line 59, the statement that MBIs “do not require prior knowledge” requires more precise supporting evidence. In line 69, the phrase “new meta-pedagogical approach” is used—explicitly explaining how this concept connects with mindfulness in education would be beneficial.

 

ANSWER: The term Mindfulness-Based Interventions was explicitly defined “Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) are structured programs that use mindfulness practices to enhance psychological well-being, reduce stress, and improve focus. They are commonly applied in healthcare, education, and workplace settings”. Evidence was provided for the statement that MBIs “do not require prior knowledge” (Gu et al., 2015). The term “new meta-pedagogical approach” was further explained in the context of mindfulness in education “Curriculum-based interventions incorporating mindfulness introduce students to a new meta-pedagogical approach, which reshapes the learning process by fostering self-awareness, present-moment focus, and emotional regulation. This approach helps students engage more deeply with their learning experiences, improving attention, resilience, and overall well-being”.

 

Regarding mindfulness in educational settings, the manuscript could further clarify how the selected mindfulness exercises were chosen and how they align with cognitive and behavioral learning theories.

ANSWER: In the manuscript, we address the alignment between the mindfulness exercises used and the targeted constructs “In the experimental group, each of the ten science lessons began with a mindfulness meditation practice…. The video aimed to guide the students' attention to the present moment…. “The mindfulness activities were included in one out of three science lessons taught each week and involved individual learning, pair or small group work, aiming to create a deep or intimate reflective experience that encouraged sharing and allowed students to share their personal experiences at the end of the activity. The activities were tailored and designed according to the science curriculum and the topics covered in the classes during the research period. The intervention program included 47 lesson units, incorporating mindfulness activities that addressed sensorial and emotional aspects. Accordingly, most of the activities involved sensory experiences such as touch, sight, and hearing. The mindfulness practices ranged from 5 to 10 minutes and were facilitated by the teacher. At the end of each lesson, the students were given a mindfulness practice homework assignment as a direct continuation of the lesson. In the control group science lessons were taught as usual”

 

 

The distinction between different mindfulness approaches in education (mindfulness in, as, and of education) is insightful. However, as the study primarily focuses on mindfulness in education, it would be helpful to explicitly state whether the findings contribute to the other two dimensions.

ANSWER: The study primarily focuses on “mindfulness as education”, however it also relates to “mindfulness in education”. This has been clarified in the last paragraph of the introduction (lines 197-207).

 

 

Please revisit lines 113–116, as the placement of this content may be more appropriate in another section within the "Mindfulness in Education" section.

ANSWER: The sentence was moved to the beginning of the paragraph.

 

In line 130, you mention that many schools in England have introduced mindfulness exercises as part of their curriculum. Could you provide more details on this?

ANSWER: A reference was added (Hemming & Hailwood, 2024).

 

In line 150, you define motivation as a system of beliefs and emotions that influence and direct behavior. This definition could benefit from further clarification. Could you elaborate on it?

ANSWER: The definition was clarified “Motivation can be defined as a dynamic system of beliefs, emotions and cognitive processes that influence and direct behavior. It shapes how individuals initiate, sustain, and regulate their actions, guiding their efforts toward achieving goals and responding to challenges”

 

2. Methodological Considerations

Randomization and Group Allocation: While the study mentions that classes were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, more details on the randomization process should be provided. Did the authors employ stratified randomization to ensure balance across key demographic or cognitive variables?

ANSWER: Classes were randomized without stratified randomization. However, due to the fact that classes for the experimental and control groups were selected within the same schools, it is mostly probable that demographic and cognitive characteristics of the classes were similar.

 

Homework assignment: You mentioned that the students were given a mindfulness practice homework assignment. What kind of assignments were given to them?

ANSWER: Homework assignments were aimed at observing feelings or sensations related to the class topic. This was added now in lines 262-263. This is further clarified in the example given in lines 273-275: “Following the lesson activity, a homework mindfulness task was given, where students were asked to pay attention to their feelings when crossing narrow passages.”

 

Teacher Training: The manuscript acknowledges that teachers were not trained in mindfulness, which may have affected the intervention’s fidelity. Future studies should consider providing structured mindfulness training for teachers, as this could influence both implementation quality and student outcomes.

ANSWER: This is mentioned under Recommendations for Further Research: “Future studies should encompass the need for teacher training…Since the teachers who deliver the program play a significant role in its success, it is also recommended to conduct more in-depth training for teachers, including theoretical and practical aspects of mindfulness”

 

 

Control Group Conditions: The control group received science lessons as usual, but were there any other interventions or activities (e.g., alternative relaxation techniques) to control for expectancy effects?

ANSWER: As mentioned, in the control group science lessons were taught as usual, without any other interventions or activities

 

Measurement Time Points: The study assesses mindfulness, motivation, and achievement at three points (pre-test, post-test, and six-month follow-up). However, a discussion on potential attrition bias is missing. Were there any systematic differences in dropout rates between conditions?

ANSWER: The general rate of attrition was low (10%), 52 students out of 512 dropped the study, with a similar rate in both conditions.

 

Reliability of Instruments: The manuscript reports Cronbach’s alpha for the measures, but some scales (e.g., Performance-Avoid Goal Orientation, α = 0.51-0.59) exhibit low internal consistency. Alternative measures or refinements may be necessary in future research.

ANSWER: Indeed, the internal reliabilities of the Performance-Avoid Goal Orientation were low, however despite this fact, still significant results were obtained for this scale. A comment about this was added at the end of the Recommendations for Further Research section “Future studies are encouraged to use more reliable measures, as the Hebrew version of the Performance-Avoid Goal used in this study showed relatively low values across the three time points.”

 

 

3. Statistical Analysis and Interpretation

The significant interaction effects indicate that mindfulness improved student outcomes over time. However, it would be helpful to include effect sizes (e.g., Cohen’s D) to quantify the magnitude of these differences.

ANSWER: The following sentence was added under the results section “The partial eta-squared effect sizes for the significant interactions ranged from .003 to .02.”.

 

The results for science motivation indicate a gender-based interaction effect. The discussion could explore why mindfulness exercises differentially impacted boys’ motivation.

ANSWER: The following paragraph was added to the discussion “The finding that boys in the mindfulness intervention group showed increased science motivation, while girls did not, contrasts with existing research on gender differences in mindfulness outcomes (Kang et al., 2018). Future studies should explore this discrepancy.”.

 

4.Discussion and Interpretation of Findings

The study finds that students in the mindfulness group exhibited sustained improvements in mindfulness, motivation, and science achievement. However, it is unclear whether the mindfulness exercises themselves directly influenced achievement or if the improvement was mediated by increased motivation and attention regulation. A mediation analysis could provide more insight.

ANSWER: Simultaneous changes in mindfulness, motivation, and science achievement make it difficult to establish a clear causal mediation pathway. Mediation analysis assumes that the predictor (mindfulness) influences the mediator (motivation and attention regulation), which in turn affects the outcome (achievement). However, if all three variables improved at the same time, it is unclear which variable changed first or whether they influenced each other in a stepwise manner.

 

 

In lines 373 and 69, you mentioned a new meta-pedagogical approach. It might be better to provide a definition of this term in line 69.

ANSWER: We added the following definition in lines 71-75 “Curriculum-based interventions incorporating mindfulness introduce students to a new meta-pedagogical approach, which reshapes the learning process by fostering self-awareness, present-moment focus, and emotional regulation. This approach helps students engage more deeply with their learning experiences, improving attention, resilience, and overall well-being”.

 

The discussion posits that sensory and emotional elements in science lessons may have enhanced engagement. However, additional qualitative insights from teachers or students could strengthen this claim.

ANSWER: Sadly, we do not have qualitative data to strengthen this claim.

 

In line 397, you mentioned that the science lessons in this study included experiential, diverse, and sensory activities, such as spatial movement, video watching, and sensory integration with some emotional elements. I think it might be better to present this information in a table and include it in section “2.2. Procedure.”

ANSWER: The following explanation appears in the procedure section “The activities were tailored and designed according to the science curriculum and the topics covered in the classes during the research period. The intervention program included 47 lesson units, incorporating mindfulness activities that addressed sensorial and emotional aspects. Accordingly, most of the activities involved sensory experiences such as touch, sight, and hearing.” Given the length of the program (47 lessons), including all lesson details in a table would be impractical; therefore, an example lesson is provided instead.

 

5.Study Limitations and Future Directions

The manuscript does a good job acknowledging key limitations, such as the lack of teacher training (Line 448) and potential spillover effects in the control group. However, other limitations, such as the self-report nature of mindfulness measures and potential demand characteristics, should also be discussed.

Future research could explore the long-term impact of integrating mindfulness into multiple subjects beyond science.

Another avenue for future work is examining whether mindfulness-based interventions differentially impact students with varying baseline levels of attentional control or emotional regulation.

ANSWER: The following sentence was added under limitations “Another limitation is the self-report nature of mindfulness questionnaires. Future studies could incorporate more ecological measures”. Under recommendations it is already written “In addition, ..the intervention program should be … integrated it into additional subjects to become part of the school curriculum”. Under recommendations for futures studies, we added “future research could examine whether MBIs differentially impact students with varying baseline levels of attentional control or emotional regulation.”

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper makes a valuable and original contribution to contemporary discourse on the intersection of mindfulness and education. The authors have presented a clear and coherent argument that is well structured and refreshingly clear of typos and errors. The paper demonstrates a clear knowledge of the literature and offers a degree of criticality to mindfulness in education, a degree of nuance lacking in many papers on this subject. 

Author Response

We thank the reviewer for the positive comments that requested no changes

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Please find the attached file.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

We deeply thank the reviewer for thei insightful comments, which helped improve the clarity and flow of the manuscript.

Below, please find our specific responses:

1. Introduction

The author has provided a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the application of mindful exercises in the educational field. Past research findings seem to indicate that mindful exercises can significantly benefit students' academic and behavioral performance. However, based on the current discussion, it remains unclear what the significance and innovation of this study are. While the author mentions that some recent studies have shown inconsistent findings regarding the effectiveness of mindful exercises, it is not explicitly stated what makes this study distinct from the existing literature. What unique contribution does this research offer to the topic?

ANSWER: In order to clarify the unique contribution of the present study, the following paragraph was added at the end of the introduction “Building on this foundation, the present study aims to assess the effectiveness of a "mindfulness as education" approach by integrating mindfulness practices into the science curriculum. This approach does not merely incorporate mindfulness as an auxiliary activity but embeds its principles within the learning process, emphasizing pre-sent-moment awareness, attentional control, and reflective engagement with scientific concepts. By fostering an educational environment where students actively cultivate mindfulness during science instruction, the study seeks to examine its impact on cognitive engagement, intrinsic motivation, and long-term knowledge retention. Through structured mindfulness exercises interwoven with science lessons, students may develop enhanced attentional capacities and a deeper, more meaningful connection with scientific inquiry, together with attaining the benefits of “mindfulness in education”. The study explores whether this pedagogical integration can serve as a transformative educational tool, promoting both academic achievement and personal growth in learners. Despite the growing recognition of mindfulness as a valuable educational tool, research on its integration within subject-specific curricula, particularly in science education, remains scarce. While numerous studies have explored the benefits of mindfulness for general well-being and stress reduction, few have examined its direct impact on cognitive engagement, conceptual understanding, and learning outcomes in science classrooms. This gap underscores the need for empirical investigations into how mindfulness-based approaches can be meaningfully embedded within academic instruction. By addressing this limitation, the present study contributes to an emerging field of research, offering insights into the potential of mindfulness as an instructional strategy that enhances students' attentional focus, curiosity, and conceptual retention. The findings may provide educators with evidence-based practices to foster both cognitive and emotional growth, thereby enriching science education with a holistic learning experience”

 

Additionally, numerous previous studies have implemented mindful exercises in educational settings. Why did the author choose not to adopt an existing intervention program for this study? Instead, the study employs a short-animated video before class as the intervention. The author has developed a self-designed mindful exercises program—are there any relevant previous studies supporting this approach?

ANSWER: Although numerous studies have implemented mindful exercises in educational settings, the present study focuses on 'mindfulness as education' rather than 'mindfulness in education.' Specifically, the program integrates mindfulness into the science curriculum, which is why tailored exercises had to be developed. To rely on existing resources and avoid the need for teacher training in mindfulness, we chose to use an animated video before the lesson. Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of short videos on mindfulness (e.g. Liu, C., Chen, H., Zhang, A., Gong, X. G., Wu, K., Liu, C. Y., & Chiou, W. K. (2023). The effects of short video app-guided loving-kindness meditation on college students’ mindfulness, self-compassion, positive psychological capital, and suicide ideation. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-023-00276-w)

 

2. Results

This study adopts a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (CRCT) design, with participants recruited from six elementary schools. Given that the nature of students may vary across schools and that there may be differences in student characteristics within different classrooms, has the researcher considered the potential impact of between-group and within-group variability on the study results? Has the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) been examined?

ANSWER: To account for variability among students and schools, the study's statistical design used hierarchical linear models, incorporating random effects for participants and classrooms nested within schools. The hierarchical linear model used in our analysis was designed to account for the nested structure of the data without the need for ICC estimation.

 

Furthermore, how can we ensure that the significant differences observed between groups are attributable to the in-class mindful exercises rather than post-class learning experiences or the effectiveness of other course instructors? This concern is particularly relevant since some of the implemented measurement scales do not specifically target a particular context (i.e., science courses) but rather assess general contexts (i.e., MAAS, PALS, SRQ-A).

ANSWER: In-class mindfulness exercises may indeed be confounded with post-class learning experiences, which could indirectly result from the intervention itself. It is impossible to completely disentangle these effects. While the fact that the same teachers instructed both the experimental and control groups rules out instructor effects, teachers' expectations may have played a role. Their exposure to and familiarity with mindfulness could have influenced their approach, making it more inclusive and attentive to students, as noted in the study’s limitations.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you for your thoughtful revisions, which have addressed the requested changes well. However, I would recommnend further developing the conclusion section at  Line 502 the ensure a more comprehensive and well-rounded closing to the document. Additionally, a meticulous final review of the entire manuscript may be beneficial to ensure consistency and clarity throughout.  

Author Response

Thank you for your thoughtful revisions, which have addressed the requested changes well. However, I would recommend further developing the conclusion section at Line 502 the ensure a more comprehensive and well-rounded closing to the document. Additionally, a meticulous final review of the entire manuscript may be beneficial to ensure consistency and clarity throughout.

Response 1:

We thank the reviewer again for his/her comments. The conclusion section was further developed and rewritten, as can be seen now in line 513. In addition, we conducted a meticulous review of the entire manuscript, and numerous corrections were made throughout the document, including grammar, punctuation, and phrasing.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author proposes that this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of “mindfulness as education,” emphasizing that mindfulness practices are not just supplementary classroom activities but are fully integrated into ten science lessons. This integration is indeed a key innovation of the study.

However, a major concern arises regarding the research design. To minimize variability in teaching styles, the participating teachers did not receive any mindfulness training. As a result, aside from the standardized five-minute animated video played at the beginning of each lesson, it appears that teachers did not follow a unified approach in guiding students through mindfulness practices. Without consistent training in mindfulness as education, how can we be sure that the mindfulness practices incorporated into the science lessons align with the intended intervention and effectively enhance student learning?

Moreover, the manuscript does not clearly specify the intervention program used for the experimental group or how teachers guided students in practicing mindfulness. This lack of detail limits the study’s ability to support strong conclusions about its findings.

Author Response

Comment 1:

The author proposes that this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of “mindfulness as education,” emphasizing that mindfulness practices are not just supplementary classroom activities but are fully integrated into ten science lessons. This integration is indeed a key innovation of the study.

However, a major concern arises regarding the research design. To minimize variability in teaching styles, the participating teachers did not receive any mindfulness training. As a result, aside from the standardized five-minute animated video played at the beginning of each lesson, it appears that teachers did not follow a unified approach in guiding students through mindfulness practices. Without consistent training in mindfulness as education, how can we be sure that the mindfulness practices incorporated into the science lessons align with the intended intervention and effectively enhance student learning?

Moreover, the manuscript does not clearly specify the intervention program used for the experimental group or how teachers guided students in practicing mindfulness. This lack of detail limits the study’s ability to support strong conclusions about its findings.

 

Response 1:

We thank the reviewer for the comments. To ensure consistency in implementation despite the lack of formal mindfulness training, all participating teachers were provided with detailed, scripted lesson plans, including clear guidance on the timing, structure, and facilitation of mindfulness activities. The use of a fixed set of materials—pre-translated video, structured lesson units, and scripted guidance—was designed to reduce variability in delivery and ensure that the mindfulness activities reflected the core principles of the intended intervention: present-moment awareness, focused attention, and emotional reflection embedded in science learning.

We acknowledge, however, that the absence of formal teacher training in mindfulness is a limitation of the study. This may have influenced the depth or consistency of delivery. Nevertheless, the decision not to train teachers was intentional, in order to test the feasibility of implementing a scalable, low-resource intervention that could realistically be adopted in typical school settings without requiring intensive professional development.

To clarify this in the manuscript, we added the following in the procedure section (line 249):

“To support consistency and alignment with the intervention goals, teachers received structured and scripted lesson plans that detailed the mindfulness activities to be implemented. These included specific instructions, timing, and language prompts to facilitate student engagement and reflection during the science lessons.”

And in line 268:

“Although teachers did not receive formal mindfulness training, the use of a fixed set of instructional materials and consistent delivery protocols was intended to minimize variation and enhance fidelity across classrooms.”

Regarding the intervention program, the full procedure section was rewritten to make it clearer and more detailed, including the addition of Table 1 in line 289. In addition, under the limitations section (line 474), we added the following paragraph:

“While detailed lesson plans and standardized materials were provided, the absence of formal training may have resulted in variability in how teachers interpreted and delivered the mindfulness components. This potential lack of implementation fidelity limits the ability to draw firm conclusions about the direct effects of the intervention. Future studies should consider incorporating structured training and ongoing support for teachers to enhance consistency and ensure the intervention is delivered as intended.”

Round 3

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author has provided sufficient justification to explain the feasibility and validity of the research design.