Mindfulness-based programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand schools : a qualitative meta-synthesis : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Abstract

Mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs) have become increasingly visible in schools in Aotearoa New Zealand as part of wider efforts to support student wellbeing and early mental health intervention. Although a growing body of qualitative research has examined mindfulness in New Zealand school settings, this work remains dispersed across different programmes, school contexts, and perspectives. As a result, there is a limited integrated understanding of how mindfulness-based programmes are experienced in practice and how their effects are shaped by contextual conditions. The aim of this study was to synthesise qualitative research on mindfulness-based programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand schools to develop a more coherent and contextually grounded understanding of how these programmes operate. A qualitative meta-synthesis was undertaken using meta-ethnography, informed by a critical realist epistemological stance. Qualitative studies and the qualitative components of mixed-methods studies conducted in primary, intermediate, and secondary schools were systematically identified, appraised, and analysed. Findings suggest that MBPs are associated with perceived psychological benefits for students, including increased emotional awareness and regulation, greater calm and attentional focus, increased awareness of changes in classroom relationships and learning environments. Teachers and counsellors described personal wellbeing benefits and professional shifts, such as decreased stress levels, greater emotional presence and reflective capacity, a stronger sense of collegiality or kotahitanga among staff, and changes in how they responded to student behaviour and emotional needs. These outcomes emerged from interacting psychological, relational, and meaning making mechanisms and were strongly shaped by context, including how programmes were introduced, facilitated, and supported within each school. Within this context, factors such as teacher engagement, leadership support, time constraints, and cultural framing played a key role in how programmes were taken up and sustained, particularly where mindfulness was aligned with Māori models of wellbeing such as Te Whare Tapa Whā. This thesis contributes an integrative qualitative account of MBPs in Aotearoa New Zealand schools and highlights the importance of cultural responsiveness, implementation conditions, and school context in shaping wellbeing initiatives.