During my EDSE 842 class we had a guest speaker, Dr. Mike Repie, who provided the advice that as a Ph.D. student; we should “dig one hole of research, as opposed to many holes”. Over the course of the past year, many professors have stated similar advice. As a student, each paper we write for our classes should in some way be geared towards our dissertation. The thought is that over the course of two or three years we will explore the literature related to our topic. As I stated in my August 2009 Goal Statement, I want to dig deeper into the use of alternative therapies, especially a form of contemplative practice called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as a tool to help students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). I believe that through MBSR, students with EBD will learn how to control and manage the their thoughts, and therefore their actions.

In the real world, adolescents with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) have to cope with their disorder along with “managing major biological, educational, and social role transitions” (Bandura, 2006, p. 6) all at the same time. In addition, students with EBD continue to experience difficulties even after they graduate from high school. They are often are unemployed, under employed, or incarcerated. As Hart points out there is a long history of contemplative practices used throughout various cultures as ways to “interrupt habitual thought routines and deepen awareness” in individuals. (Hart, 2006, p. 29). The hope is that by teaching a student with EBD a contemplative practice that they will develop a personal self-efficacy that will help them believe “they can produce desired effects by their actions”. (Bandura, 2006, p. 3)

A few of the research questions that I would like to explore over the course of the next year are:

1. To what extent does a contemplative practice increase the self-motivation of adolescents with EBD?

2. In what ways do adolescents with EBD develop a better understanding of contemplation (mindfulness) through a structured program?

3. What is the impact of learning a contemplative practice on the day-to-day life experiences for adolescents with EBD?

4. Does the self-efficacy of an adolescent with EBD increase after learning a contemplative practice? If so, how is that change measured?

5. Would special education teachers who work with students with EBD benefit from a contemplative practice? If so, would it decrease teacher burn out rate?