Analysis of a Mindfulness Training on the Development of Competencies Necessary for the School Manager

José Paulo Reichenbach; Marcos Cesar Rodrigues de Miranda

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202603060

Article derived from a Course Conclusion Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the E&S Magazine with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by Instituto Pecege for textual synthesis and organization.

Summary

The qualification of school management represents a significant challenge for Brazilian education. Recent discoveries about the contribution of mindfulness meditation to the performance of leadership functions have paved the way for new investigations. This study sought to identify possible contributions of mindfulness practice to school managers. An exploratory research was conducted, designed as a single case study, which used bibliographic and documentary research, analyzing federal and municipal legislation, academic studies on school management, mindfulness, and leadership. Complementarily, a questionnaire answered by a school principal who participated in an eight-week mindfulness training was analyzed. Evidence of the contribution of mindfulness to the school leader was found both in the academic literature and in the results of the case study. The participating principal reported improvement in emotional control, concentration ability, and stress reduction, as well as a greater ability to maintain full attention. The practice contributed to the development of awareness and emotional self-regulation. It was concluded that mindfulness meditation has the potential to promote awareness and emotional regulation, qualifying the competencies of school managers, especially those related to leadership, people management, and school climate. It is recommended that more robust and controlled studies be conducted, with a larger number of participants, to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms of this practice.

Keywords: Mindfulness; Leader competencies; Educational management; School leadership.

1. Introduction

The right to education in Brazil is not yet fully met, evidencing significant challenges in students’ educational trajectory. Studies indicate that many students have their journey interrupted by failure, dropout, or withdrawal (Soares et al., 2021). Data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, 2024) reveal that only 75 percent of people between 15 and 17 years old are enrolled at the appropriate age, meaning that a quarter of young people in this age group get lost in the school path. More alarmingly, 40.1 percent of the population between 25 and 64 years old have not completed high school (IBGE, 2024), suggesting that approximately half of Brazilians interrupt their education before finishing high school.

Faced with this scenario, the professionalization and quality of school management emerge as urgent needs for the transformation of Brazilian education. The school manager, according to Lück (2009), is the professional responsible for organizing and guiding the administrative and pedagogical dimensions of the school, directly influencing the school culture and environment. The performance of this manager is crucial for mobilizing learning focused on competent citizenship, demanding proactivity and creativity in resolving the daily challenges of the school community. To achieve a leap in educational quality, the construction of consistent educational management is fundamental.

In practice, the function of school management is complex and encompasses political, administrative, financial, pedagogical, technological, innovation, and people management aspects. Libâneo (2018) highlights that the school manager, in the figure of the director, is responsible for the administrative and pedagogical functioning of the institution, also playing a leadership role. This implies the ability to aggregate aspirations and expectations of the school community, articulating the adherence of all segments of the school in the management of the Pedagogical Political Project. The quality of directive work is defined by competencies and attributions. Competence is understood as the ability to perform a job with the necessary quality to achieve objectives, based on acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Lück, 2009). It includes the use of theoretical and practical, cognitive and socio-emotional knowledge, attitudes, and values to solve daily challenges, as advocated by the National Common Curricular Base (Brazil, 2017). Attributions, in turn, refer to the responsibilities of the position and the tasks assigned to the director’s function (Michaelis, s.d.).

In search of innovation and pathways to develop qualified management professionals, with performance and humanity, mindfulness meditation practices, or full attention, have been tested and studied by science and large companies. Recognized organizations such as Target, Google, eBay, General Mills, Ford Motor Company, Facebook, Twitter, and Aetna International have included mindfulness practice in their organizational training (Hunter, 2013). Vianna et al. (2023) observed global growth in research relating mindfulness to leadership decision-making processes since 2012, with a highlight on the United States. Although most studies focus on the health area, there is significant exploration of the relationship between mindfulness and leadership performance in administration and management roles, evidencing its applicability in corporate and organizational contexts focused on leadership.

In this context of educational challenges and the complexity of school management, the search for tools that enhance managers’ competencies becomes imperative. The growing evidence of mindfulness’s potential in leadership development across various sectors suggests a gap in understanding how this practice can specifically benefit the Brazilian school manager. Thus, the restlessness and questioning that motivate this work lie in the need to investigate the contribution of mindfulness training programs to the development of essential competencies for the performance of the school manager/director’s duties and responsibilities. The present study seeks to verify whether a Mindfulness Training Program (Mindfulness Meditation) will contribute to the development of competencies necessary for the school manager/director in performing their duties and responsibilities.

2. Material and Methods

This research was characterized as exploratory, outlined as a single case study. The methodological approach employed bibliographic and documentary research for data collection. For the analysis of information, the content analysis methodology was used, as proposed by Moraes (1999). This technique allows for the systematic description and interpretation of texts, enabling an in-depth understanding of meanings.

Data collection was carried out at two points in time. In the first, a survey was conducted within the legal framework and in scientific publications to identify the competencies and attributions of the school principal. The sources included the Federal Constitution, the Law of Directives and Bases of Education, the National Common Base of Competencies for School Principals, and the Law of the Career Plan for Public Teaching Staff of Ipiranga do Sul.

In the second moment, academic studies on the practice of mindfulness, management, and leadership were analyzed. Complementarily, a questionnaire answered by a school principal who participated in an eight-week mindfulness training program was used. This program consisted of eight weekly meetings, each two hours long, held online and synchronously.

The training class had four participants, all teachers, one of whom was the director who was integrated into the case study. The participants were from Rio Grande do Sul and were invited to the training through individual invitations via social media or by recommendation. The specific director was suggested by another meditation teacher with whom she was pursuing a postgraduate degree in transpersonal psychology. The total investment in the course was R$290.00.

The content of the mindfulness training program included mindful meditation practices, psychoeducational exercises, and theoretical knowledge on meditation and neuroscience. After each practice, a dialogue called inquiry was conducted, focused on deepening the meditative experience and on the self-perception of sensations, emotions, and thoughts. The structure of the practices evolved from concrete to abstract anchors.

After the program’s completion, a questionnaire designed by the facilitator was applied to investigate the training’s possible contribution to the school management role. The questions sought to assess aspects such as the sustentation of mindfulness, the ability to deal with stress and emotions, and the quality in conducting management. The application occurred only post-course, with no subsequent follow-up.

The questionnaire also addressed the ability to promote a trusting environment, the general benefits of the training, the challenges of practice, and the possibility of recommending the course to other principals. The participating principal works in a small public high school, with one vice-principal, nine teachers, and three staff members.

The director is 48 years old, with 25 years of training, she is a Portuguese and Spanish teacher with a specialization in English, and she had been serving as director for two years and eight months at the time of the research. Based on bibliographic and documentary research, a context was built regarding school management, mindfulness, and competencies and attributions.

Subsequently, the competencies and attributions were categorized, which, according to Moraes (1999), consists of grouping data by thematic similarity to facilitate information analysis. This data organization allowed the discussion of the findings to be structured in relation to the study objectives.

3. Results and Discussion

The analysis of the data, based on bibliographic and documentary research, as well as on the questionnaire answered by the director participating in the mindfulness training, allowed for the categorization of the school manager’s competencies and attributions. Initially, four main categories were identified: School Management as Leadership, Integrated School Management, School Climate Management, and Heritage Management and Preservation. However, upon deepening the analysis and considering the contributions of mindfulness practice, a fifth category emerged, named Emotional Awareness and Self-Regulation. The Heritage Management and Preservation category was then suppressed, as it was intrinsically encompassed by Integrated Management, resulting in four central axes for the discussion of the findings.

School Management as Leadership

Educational literature and normative documents reveal a significant conceptual transition, where the terms “leader” and “leadership” gain prominence over the traditional figure of the “chief”. This shift reflects an understanding that the school principal should act as a leader, fostering a collaborative and engaging environment. The National Common Base of School Principal Competencies (CNE, 2021) establishes school management leadership as the first competency in the political-institutional dimension, emphasizing the organization of resources and teams to achieve objectives efficiently and the creation of collaboration for team development.

The Law of Directives and Bases of National Education (Brazil, 1996), although it does not explicitly use the terms “leader” or “leadership”, employs “management” to refer to the conduct of educational institutions. This terminological choice, according to the study of the historical process of the function, represents an achievement by researchers for an expression that aligns practice with more democratic, participatory, and human values, distancing itself from the technobureaucratic authoritarianism associated with “administration”. Lück (2009) reinforces this perspective, mentioning the terms “leader, to lead, and leadership” ninety-eight times in his work, arguing that the director must develop leadership capacity to build an education that mobilizes and develops the human talent of students.

Professional leadership is presented as a crucial factor for educational success, being the basis of democratic management (Lück, 2009). Libâneo (2018) complements this vision, arguing that the school manager must develop leadership skills to influence and motivate people to act with shared intentions and values. This skill, according to the author, can be developed by all school actors through self-development and participatory practices, with the principal acting as a leader who unites the ideals and thoughts of the school community, fostering an organizational culture of cohesion and group spirit.

Vasconcellos (2019) highlights that authoritarianism, often rooted in relationships, hinders authentic dialogue and imposes decisions. In contrast, he proposes a manager with pedagogical leadership, grounded in trust, coherence, and dialogue, essential elements for effective management. The terms “leader” and “leadership” carry the intention of a new form of management, which moves away from hierarchy and authoritarianism, anchoring itself in principles of horizontality, collaboration, influence, and motivation (Fernandes et al., 2021). While the “boss” is oriented towards results and imposition, the leader focuses on people, with a democratic and horizontal attitude.

Hunter (2018) defines leadership as the ability to influence people to work with enthusiasm towards a common goal, using authority as the skill to lead people to act willingly. The opposite would be the use of authoritarian power, which leads to the execution of tasks without goodwill. Simonet and Tett (2013) observed an overlap between the concepts of leadership and management, indicating that both involve similar competencies in practice, although with distinct emphases: good management is oriented towards the person, and good leadership, towards the task. Tan (2014) emphasizes that effective leadership depends on compassion, shifting the focus from “me” to “us”, enabling the leader to encourage the potential of collaborators.

The practice of mindfulness, or full attention, emerges as a promising tool for the development of more human and motivational leadership. Wells (2015) suggests that leadership based on mindfulness allows the leader to move from the “doing mode” — characterized by the incessant search for solutions — to the “being mode”, experiencing the present with full attention. This develops essential attributes such as patience, active listening, acceptance, non-judgment, compassion, and self-compassion, promoting significant changes in leaders’ behaviors.

The relationship between leadership and mindfulness also manifests in stress reduction, a crucial aspect for leaders facing complex challenges (Wells, 2015). Kabat-Zinn (2017) explains that stress is a natural response, and the meditative practice of mindfulness offers the best way to deal with it, allowing for a clear understanding of the context of the experience and conscious responses, rather than automatic reactions. Cacay and Peña (2025) confirmed positive results of mindfulness in educational leadership, such as improved professional performance, enhancement of cognitive skills, and reduction of impulsive reactions under pressure.

Wilbert et al. (2019) observed that leaders who develop mindfulness increase the concentration and effectiveness of their functions, taking care of themselves and their team. The practice of mindfulness promotes a propensity for change in the leader’s behavior, making them more present and capable of demonstrating empathy, compassion, and self-compassion. Kabat-Zinn (2017) highlights that the attitudes cultivated by mindfulness calm the mind, allowing a perception of reality without the interference of emotions, which directs efforts towards more effective results.

In the case study conducted with the director, she reported that the practice of mindfulness contributed to emotional control, concentration capacity, and stress reduction. Furthermore, the director noticed an improvement in the ability to maintain full attention, attributes that directly align with the qualities necessary for effective leadership. Doornich and Lynch (2024) corroborate this perspective, concluding that mindfulness is a fundamental foundation for the development of attention, awareness, and authenticity, essential qualities for conscious leadership.

Integrated Management

The integrated school management is defined as the capacity to articulate the diverse dimensions that compose the institution, encompassing a variety of attributions. The BNC-Director Escolar organizes the director’s responsibilities into four major dimensions: pedagogical, administrative, political, and financial (CNE, 2021). The pedagogical dimension covers the teaching-learning process; the administrative, the management of bureaucracy; the financial, the management of material and economic resources; and the political, decision-making. These attributions, which correspond to these dimensions, deal with the pedagogical project, administrative-financial issues, and the teaching-learning process.

Lück (2009) emphasizes that the principal must ensure the well-being of the entire school, focusing on student learning and the emergence of a school culture. Management must be systemic and not fragmented, connecting all dimensions of the organization. The quality of school management, according to the author, depends on the conception of education, management, and the professional role of leadership, with integration and coherence among all dimensions and educational actions being fundamental for fulfilling the school’s social function. A comprehensive and integrating plan, involving mental operations of identifying, analyzing, predicting, and deciding, is crucial to suppress the fragmentation and artificialities that have historically permeated educational plans.

Melo (2025) demonstrated in his study that the integration of the structural and pedagogical dimensions of the school transforms management into strategic leadership, strengthening the quality of teaching and promoting an environment of learning and citizenship. An inflexible separation between these dimensions, on the other hand, compromises the effectiveness of school work. Libâneo (2018) emphasizes that the function of school management should aim at the coordinated and articulated execution of tasks, and even administrative demands must have a pedagogical connotation.

It is evident that the specific attributions and responsibilities of each dimension of school management must be executed in an integrated manner, not in isolation. It is not healthy for the organization for the principal to act on only one front, relegating other responsibilities to the management team. For effective management, which promotes an environment conducive to student development, the school principal needs to be attentive and focused on the school as a whole, clearly understanding the demands to make conscious and assertive decisions.

In this line of understanding, Doornich and Lynch (2024) point out that the practice of mindfulness meditation elevates leaders’ awareness, providing sharp clarity of facts and greater discernment of thoughts and emotions. Greater clarity, discernment, and emotional stability are fundamental elements for a deep understanding of the demands involving the school’s dimensions, resulting in more efficient and effective decision-making. The ability to “not judge,” developed with mindfulness, allows one to see situations as they are, without the interference of ideas, opinions, or aversions, which leads to a better understanding of the school’s dimensional interconnections and clearer, more assertive decisions (Kabat-Zinn, 2017).

When there is clarity about what is really happening, without the influence of judgments, emotions, and mental desires, it becomes more likely to know what to do and to have conviction in the decision (Kabat-Zinn, 2017). Shortland et al. (2021) demonstrated that brief mindfulness meditation can enhance decision-making, especially in critical situations. They highlight that the practice develops skills such as internal concentration, prioritization of actions, and commitment to choices, being a technologically simple, low-cost, and widely available tool for leaders.

In the case study, the participating director reported that she perceives herself as frequently living on “autopilot” and needing considerable effort to maintain focus. This perception suggests the potential of mindfulness practice in developing focused attention, a crucial element for clarity in choices and strategies that guide non-fragmented and systemic management. The ability to exit “autopilot” and cultivate full attention is, therefore, a differentiator for integrated management, allowing the manager a more holistic view and more conscious decisions.

People Management, Relations, and School Climate

This category covers the assignments and responsibilities related to people management and school climate, crucial elements for the functioning of any organization. The way people management is conducted establishes internal relationships and, consequently, the school’s climate. Boff and Zulianelo (2021) identified that the lack of family participation and engagement, teacher demotivation, and colleague disengagement are the main difficulties faced by public school principals, highlighting significant challenges in people and relationship management.

The BNC-School Principal (CNE, 2021) highlights the importance of aspects such as empathy, dialogue, and constructive conflict resolution for relationships. The document emphasizes valuing diversity and building a collaborative environment that promotes an adequate climate for the teaching process, in addition to mentioning the need for the school manager to be able to communicate and deal with conflicts. The municipal legislation of Ipiranga do Sul (2003), where the principal works, also reinforces the articulation of families with the community, promoting the integration of the school with its surroundings and society.

In the academic context, Lück (2009) and Libâneo (2018) corroborate that the management of school climate and articulation with the community are the responsibilities of the manager. Libâneo (2018) states that the school’s culture is intentionally built, with school leadership playing a central role in this process. Vasconcellos (2019) advocates for a new stance in school management, based on trust and overcoming fear, to create a healthy environment that favors teaching. The manager, in this sense, acts as a mediator of relationships and a central professional in the construction of the school climate.

Kabat-Zinn and Goleman, precursors of mindfulness meditation and emotional intelligence, respectively, along with research on mindfulness, highlight significant transformations in the subjective attributes of participants in eight-week programs. Manifestations of self-compassion, compassion, empathy, and mental flexibility are developed, qualities essential for excellent people management that seeks a quality school climate (Tan, 2014). An ideal school climate is fundamental to the teaching-learning process.

In the case study, mindfulness training contributed moderately to improving the director’s ability to cope with stress and emotions. This improvement, even if moderate, can promote a more harmonious and less tense environment, resulting in a quality school climate for the entire community. Santos et al. (2024) observed in a pilot study with nursing leaders that mindfulness improved the ability to regulate attention and emotions, increased cognitive flexibility, and developed skills such as self-motivation, self-control, and receptiveness, promoting healthier relationships and a deeper understanding of personal limitations.

Cacay and Peña (2025) demonstrated the effectiveness of mindfulness practices in managing prolonged stress, reducing irritability, and promoting a positive and harmonious work environment, strengthening leaders’ professional performance. The study also established a direct positive correlation between mindfulness and the cognitive skills necessary for school management, resulting in more ethical and assertive decision-making, overcoming impulsive reactions under pressure. Participants perceived that the practice provided for more strategic and organized work, facilitating collaborative and democratic solutions.

School Principal’s Awareness and Self-Regulation

The category of Awareness and Self-Regulation, although not explicitly present in the initial academic studies, can be inferred from discussions on leadership. Its emergence is notable in the case study, where the participating principal in the mindfulness program reported a moderate improvement in her ability to maintain full attention in challenging situations and in managing stress and emotions in the school environment. The principal highlighted that mindfulness provided the realization that she was living on “autopilot” and the need for effort to break free from this state, indicating a development of awareness and the ability to observe her own thoughts, rather than just a direct gain in performance.

Peixoto and Gondim (2020), in a systematic review, demonstrated the interrelationship between mindfulness and emotional regulation. The practice facilitates more adaptive strategies, reduces mental rumination, and confers greater cognitive flexibility, contributing positively to the choice of emotional strategies. The authors identified that mindfulness is associated with a good capacity for emotional differentiation and rapid recovery after negative events, making self-regulation more effective, in addition to promoting greater affect, mood, memory, and social connection.

The case study participant suggested that future trainings should focus on calming the mind and promoting more awareness, cultivating an attitude of openness to internal transformations that are the basis of self-regulation. The identification of “autopilot” marks the beginning of a process of denaturalizing this behavior. The qualities of calming the mind and exiting “autopilot” are fundamental internal attributes for conscious and quality leadership (Tan, 2014), indicating an initial milestone of transformation from participation in the mindfulness program.

Cossia and Andrade (2020) investigated the contributions of meditative practices to education, concluding that they promote reflections on behaviors and feelings, increasing awareness of subjects’ actions. This leads to deep self-awareness learning, creating empathy, peace, and respect for differences, which can contribute to a climate or environment of peace. Stedham and Skaar (2019) found that mindfulness enhances the ability to recognize and regulate emotions, allowing for the choice of assertive responses.

This elevation is associated with the ability to observe without judgment, maintaining a conscious detachment from stimuli, which impacts leadership attitudes and positioning, especially regarding reliability (Stedham and Skaar, 2019). The perception that, by not reacting automatically, space is opened for responses based on the leader’s and the organization’s values and principles, allowing mental focus to be directed towards the task, without distraction, fear, or insecurity, inspiring and motivating followers, who feel safe in exposing their potentials and vulnerabilities.

In summary, the research findings indicate that the practice of mindfulness meditation has significant potential for developing essential skills for school managers. The observed improvements in emotional control, concentration, and stress reduction, combined with the perception of greater mindfulness, demonstrate how mindfulness can enhance leadership, integrated management, people management, and school climate. The practice fosters emotional awareness and self-regulation, allowing managers to act in a more present, empathetic, and assertive manner, responding more effectively to the complex challenges of the educational environment and contributing directly to the objective of improving the skills of school managers.

4. Conclusion

This study sought to identify the possible contributions of mindfulness practice to the school manager, aiming at the development of essential competencies for the performance of their duties and responsibilities. It was verified that full attention meditation has significant potential to enhance the qualities necessary for the educational leader. The findings indicated improvements in emotional control, concentration capacity, and stress reduction, as well as a perception of greater mindfulness on the part of the participating director. Such results suggest that mindfulness practice qualifies leadership, integrated management, people management, and school climate, fostering emotional awareness and self-regulation. This contribution allows the manager to act in a more present, empathetic, and assertive manner, responding more effectively to the complex challenges of the educational environment.

However, it is essential to acknowledge the limitations of the present work, which was restricted to a single case study with a limited number of participants. This methodological characteristic prevents the generalization of the results, but it offers a starting point for future investigations. It is recommended to conduct more robust and controlled studies, involving a larger number of participants, in order to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms by which the practice of mindfulness contributes to the development of important characteristics for the school leader. Such deepening could consolidate the application of this practice as a valuable tool in the qualification of educational management.

Bibliographic References

BRASIL, 2017. Resolução n° 2, do Conselho Nacional de Educação [CNE] de 22 de dezembro de 2017. Institui e orienta a implantação da Base Nacional Comum Curricular. Diário Oficial da União, Brasília, 22 dez de 2017, seção 1, p. 41-44.

Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística [IBGE], 2024. Diagnóstico da educação nacional. Disponível em: https://www.gov.br/mec/pt-br/pne/documentos/diagnostico-educacao-nacional.pdf

Libâneo, J.C. 2018. Organização e gestão da escola: teoria e prática. 6ed. Heccus, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Lück, H. 2009. Dimensões de gestão escolar e suas competências. 1ed. Positivo, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil.

Michaelis. Atribuição. In: Michaelis dicionário brasileiro da língua portuguesa. São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, [s.d.]. Disponível em

Soares, J.F.; Alves, M.T.G.; Fonseca, J.A. 2021. Trajetórias educacionais como evidência da qualidade da educação básica brasileira. Revista Brasileira de Estudos de População. 38(0167): 1-21.

Article originating from the Course Conclusion Work of the Specialization in School Management of the MBA USP/Esalq

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