Teachers' Dispositional Mindfulness and Well-Being and Their Connection to Decentering and Teacher–Student Relationships

This longitudinal, two-wave study builds on the mindful self in school relationships (MSSR) model, examining the link between dispositional mindfulness and teacher well-being over time, and the roles of decentering and teacher–student relationships (TSRs) as potential mediators. It posits that dispositional mindfulness facilitates a reduction in self-centered psychological processing that hampers well-being while promoting teachers' ability to create positive, effective TSRs that contribute to their well-being. Sixty-two elementary school teachers were surveyed at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of the 2019–2020 school year to evaluate their levels of dispositional mindfulness, decentering, well-being, as well as the quality of their TSRs. The results supported the expected positive correlation between teachers' mindfulness at T1 and their well-being at T2. Contrary to expectations, decentering did not act as a mediator between mindfulness at T1 and well-being at T2. However, as predicted, TSRs significantly mediated the link between teachers' mindfulness at T1 and well-being at T2. These outcomes highlight the potential impact of dispositional mindfulness on teachers' well-being, possibly via its contribution to teachers' relationships with their students. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of dispositional mindfulness in educational settings.