Embodying critical consciousness in higher education : a pilot RCT of a mindfulness-based intervention for college students of color

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention for students of color who experiences a low sense of belonging. An embedded mixed methods design including a quantitative component (RCT of two intervention groups that underwent the same intervention and one control group) and a qualitative component (content analysis) was utilized to test the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based critical consciousness intervention for college students of color. Twenty-eight students of color were randomly allocated to either an intervention or a control group. The intervention groups attended a fourweek mindfulness-based workshop series and completed measures of mindfulness, distress, colleges self-efficacy, belongingness, and critical consciousness at pre-intervention and postintervention. The control group completed the aforementioned measures at pretest and posttest. As predicted, repeated measures ANOVAs revealed increases in mindfulness, colleges selfefficacy, belongingness, and critical consciousness, as well as decreases in distress, for intervention group participants over time relative to control participants. This study also utilized an inductive content analysis to explore how, if at all, the intervention influenced the students of color in the intervention groups. In the qualitative exploration, four subordinate themes emerged: (a) Mindfulness, (b) Motivation to Decrease Academic Distress, (c) Sense of Belonging, (d) Critical Consciousness. Implications for higher education are discussed.