Psychometric Properties of the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale in a Sample of Portuguese Teachers

Abstract

Abstract Objectives In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in scientific research examining the impact of mindfulness on teacher well-being and its implications for education. Thus, it is vital to have psychometrically robust measures suitable for educational settings. The current study aimed to validate a Portuguese version of the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale (MTS-PT). Method The MTS-PT was administered to a sample of teachers (n = 863), along with self-report measures and indicators of teacher well-being: job satisfaction, positive and negative affect, loneliness and positive solitude, self-compassion, and dispositional mindfulness. We examined the MTS-PT factorial validity, the reliability of its facets, convergent and divergent validity, factorial invariance, and assessed mean differences of its scores across teachers’ sociodemographic characteristics. Results Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported the original 2-related-factor structure of the MTS distinguishing Teacher Intrapersonal Mindfulness and Teacher Interpersonal Mindfulness. This model was invariant across sex, teaching years and educational levels taught by the participating teachers. Inferential tests revealed that more experienced teachers reported higher levels of intrapersonal mindfulness while elementary school teachers reported higher levels of interpersonal mindfulness. Reliability values were adequate to good in both dimensions. The MTS-PT subscales correlated positively with teacher well-being indicators, and inversely with negative affect and loneliness. Conclusions Overall, findings support the psychometric adequacy of the MTS-PT, suggesting that it is a reliable and valid self-report measure of teachers’ mindfulness. This instrument can bring relevant insights about teachers’ mindfulness facets and provide useful indications for the development and assessment of mindfulness-based interventions for teachers.