Various investigations have applied meditation protocols in the school context, with beneficial effects. Transcendental meditation, however, received little attention in primary school settings and few controlled studies are available. The present study is aimed: 1) to investigate the implementation of a school protocol (Quiet Time-QT) based on Transcendental Meditation ™ in a primary school setting 2) to test its efficacy in promoting strengths and resilience in children, using a controlled research, with a cross over design. 92 students attending fourth and fifth class of a primary school were assigned to either the QT intervention, or to a waiting list condition. Children assigned to the waiting list received the QT protocol after few months. Before and after the intervention children were evaluated by their teachers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). A Repeated Measures MANOVA was applied to compare the two groups. After the QT intervention children in the experimental condition showed fewer emotional and behavioral difficulties (SDQ) compared to children in the waiting list. An overall positive effect of QT was observed in the total sample in improving children’s strengths and emotional well-being. Participants enjoyed the practice of meditation in the school setting. Conclusions: the results of this controlled investigation showed that the QT school protocol is feasible in the school setting, and it yielded improvements in children’s strengths and well-being. Meditation programs could be easily included in the educational system to sustain children positive development.

According to the systems perspective, the influence of various systems (e.g., family, school, community) on children's behavior at school is highly acknowledged. It is therefore accepted that problem behavior in the classroom originates from social interactions, providing a conceptual framework where problems are seen as indicative of dysfunction within the school system, thus removing blame from the individual child, the teacher, or the parents. Addressing the importance of interactions among students, teachers, and parents in this system, the present study aimed to identify and compare the types of behaviors that Greek primary and secondary teachers and parents view as problematic in the classroom. A sample of 378 teachers and 69 parents were asked to identify which behaviors were considered troublesome. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five categories of behaviors perceived as problematic by parents and teachers: Externalizing behaviors, School Difficulties, Internalizing behaviors, Attention seeking behaviors, and Hyperactivity/attention difficulties. Both teachers and parents considered externalizing behaviors to be more troublesome than other types of behavior. Teachers tend to worry less than parents about all types of children’s behaviors, except for school difficulties. The findings highlight the importance of considering diverse perspectives within the school system when designing interventions to address the specific needs of school communities while also promoting collaboration among all members of the school system.

Addressing and managing the disruptive behavior of students is a major classroom management concern for teachers. These concerns become even more important when, in addition to normal classroom disruptions, teachers must also address the behaviors of students’ at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties. Although ample bodies of evidence-based instructional and behavior management practices exist, teachers have expressed difficulties implementing these practices into their daily classroom praxis. One method for supporting teachers’ practice implementation is through ongoing classroom observations that measure classroom practices and yield data to support direct implementation feedback to teachers. The current study investigated relations between observational assessment of instructional and behavior management practices and students’ emotional and behavior risk as part of a brief observation and feedback process. We also examined how brief teacher performance feedback may change the relationships between teacher practices and student emotional and behavioral risk. Participants included 31 Greek elementary school teachers who were observed with the Classroom Strategies Assessment System (CSAS) by their school administrators for three-30 minutes observations and received brief performance feedback following each observation period. Following the third observation period, teachers also completed the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) Teacher Form for 115 students. Multilevel analyses revealed that assessment of instructional and behavior management strategies were significantly associated with student risk for emotional and behavior difficulties prior to feedback, but nonsignificant findings were found following brief performance feedback. Results illustrate a shift in the relationships between observer ratings of teachers’ instructional and behavior management practices and teacher ratings of student emotional and behavioral risk following brief performance feedback. Implications for practice and research are discussed.