Research · Mindfulness · Emotional Intelligence · Education
What Mindfulness Really Does to Teachers: The Science Behind the PINEP Programme
A study with 180 teachers from Málaga reveals statistically significant improvements across emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, and wellbeing — after just 8 weeks.
We talk a great deal about teacher wellbeing. But what does the evidence actually say? What happens , measurably, statistically, when teachers practise Mindfulness in a structured, emotionally intelligent way over a sustained period of time?
This research poster, presented at the II Congress of Mindfulness in Education in Zaragoza (2019), answers exactly that question. The study was conducted by Lawrence Body alongside researchers Natalio Ramos, Olivia Recondo, and Óscar Jiménez from the University of Málaga — and the results speak for themselves.
— Conclusion, PINEP Research Study, University of Málaga
What is PINEP?
The Programa de Inteligencia Emocional Plena (PINEP) (Full Emotional Intelligence Programme) was developed by Ramos, Recondo and Enríquez (2012). It combines foundational Mindfulness training with structured emotional intelligence development, creating a flexible and open framework that can be adapted to different educational and professional contexts.
Unlike purely contemplative approaches, PINEP is designed to bring participants into direct, compassionate contact with their own emotional experience, both positive and negative, building autonomy in decision/making and moving beyond automatic, conditioned responses.
How the study was conducted
The study followed a pre-post design with a control group, evaluating participants before and after 8 weeks of PINEP training. Teachers came from across the province of Málaga, recruited through the Teacher Training Centres of Málaga and Marbella-Coín. The sample was 80% women and 20% men, aged between 25 and 65, spanning primary, secondary, vocational, and guidance education.
Participants
- 80% women, 20% men
- Ages 25–65 (avg. 41–50)
- 70% over 10 years’ experience
- 44% primary education
- 37% secondary & sixth form
- 13% guidance & pedagogy
- 6% vocational training
Instruments used
- Wong & Law EI Scale (2002)
- Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985)
- Self-Other Four Immeasurables (Kraus & Sears, 2009)
- Emociones Plenas (Ramos & Recondo, 2014)
What changed — and how significantly
The experimental group — those who completed the PINEP programme — showed statistically significant improvements across 11 different variables, while the control group showed no meaningful changes. Here is what improved:
Statistically significant improvements in the experimental group
• Intrapersonal perception • Interpersonal perception • Emotional assimilation
• Emotional regulation • Total emotional intelligence • Life satisfaction
• Psychophysical health • Positive personal relationships • Mindfulness changes
• Changes in the classroom • Changes in the teacher
Among the most striking results: Emotional Regulation showed a t-value of 6.9 (p<0.001), Life Satisfaction reached 6.4 (p<0.001), and Mindfulness changes scored 7.2 (p<0.001) — all highly significant results, pointing to real, measurable transformation in how teachers experience and manage their inner world.
What this means for education
These findings matter beyond the statistics. When a teacher improves their emotional regulation, their students feel it. When they develop greater intrapersonal awareness, the classroom culture shifts. When their life satisfaction increases, their vocation becomes sustainable.
The study confirms what many educators already sense intuitively: that Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence are not extras — they are foundations. And when delivered through a structured, evidence-based programme like PINEP, the results are not just felt — they can be measured.
Download the research poster
We are making this research poster freely available to anyone who wants to explore the evidence, share it with colleagues, or use it as a starting point for conversations about wellbeing in their own institution. It presents the full study — objectives, methodology, results, and conclusions — in a clear and accessible format.
Download the Research Poster — the full PINEP study on Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, and teacher wellbeing. Free to download and share.
