Congratulations to Doreen Marie Pontius who on Friday, August 29, 2025, successfully defended her final dissertation. The title of Doreen’s dissertation is, "A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF MINDFULNESS IN THE CURRICULUM."
Overview of Problem: Community college students often experience high stress levels, which can impact their success and increase their risk of dropping out of school (Lipson, Ketchen, et al., 2021). Many community college students are from underrepresented groups and encounter barriers that leave them more vulnerable than their peers. Research on mindfulness in higher education has demonstrated its therapeutic benefits, however, there are few studies on the academic benefits of mindfulness. Research with community college students is limited, creating a gap in understanding their needs and experiences (Domenitz, 2019). Domenitz (2019) and others have emphasized the importance of addressing the limited research and understanding the distinct challenges faced by community college students.
Research Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore community college students’ perceptions of mindfulness strategies integrated into their course curriculum.
Research Design: This qualitative study employed an interpretive lens to investigate students' perceptions of mindfulness strategies. The theoretical framework of contemplative pedagogy guided the study’s questions and analysis.
Sample: A total of 14 community college students, from the Northeast, who were either currently enrolled or had graduated between 2020 and 2024.
Data Collection and Analysis: Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using systematic coding, leading to the emergence of three themes: mindfulness fosters self-awareness, mindfulness fosters personal growth, and mindfulness fosters a sense of belonging.
Findings/Results: Findings revealed that participants associated mindfulness with increased self-awareness, empathy, and compassion. In addition to fostering emotional growth, participants described cognitive benefits including improved reflective and critical thinking, enhanced focus, and stress management. Participants also described a sense of belonging and connection to their peers and professors, which aligned with studies by Abelson et al. (2023), Berila (2014), Barbezat and Bush (2014), Domenitz (2019), and Weare (2019). These studies emphasized mindfulness as a key component of holistic, inclusive, emotionally supportive learning classes. Participants in this study noted that professors who had integrated mindfulness practices into their courses helped them feel seen, valued, and cared for. A few participants compared their positive experiences with these professors to subsequent ones, indicating that they felt an approach incorporating mindfulness practices was beneficial. Additionally, participants expressed a desire for other professors to adopt the same practices.
Conclusions/Implications: All participants were first-generation; most were student parents, and many worked. Student parents, students with disabilities, and Latina students developed self-compassion and wanted to share what they learned. Participants felt valued by professors. Recommendations include embedding mindfulness practices within the community college campus to foster holistic support moving beyond the classroom.
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR(S):
Dr. Peter F. Troiano
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBER(S):
Dr. Angela Clark-Taylor
Dr. Jennifer Pax
Take Your Career to the Next Level
Elevate your leadership skills, deepen your understanding of critical and contemporary education issues, and learn to help solve the current challenges in P-20 education.
Learn to Inspire Change
The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership from Manhattanville, offered in partnership with Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, utilizes a forward-thinking approach to educational leadership that is ideal for practicing and aspiring leaders in any educational context. It is designed to support the goals of educational professionals who seek to develop their leadership skills for career advancement or current job enhancement.
