A set of mental skills and socio-emotional dispositions—including self-regulation of emotion and attention, self-representations, and prosocial traits like empathy and compassion—are central to 21st-century education. These qualities can be strengthened through systematic contemplative practice, which induces plastic changes in brain function and structure, supporting prosocial behavior and academic success in young people. The authors call for focused programmatic research to determine which forms and frequencies of practice are most efficacious for which children and adolescents, and to document the neural changes induced.
A professional development program combining self-compassion and mindfulness practices improved primary school teachers' well-being in the Czech Republic. Teachers who participated reported higher self-efficacy and self-compassion, and lower depression, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion immediately after the program compared to a control group. While the control group's subjective well-being worsened over the school year, the intervention group remained stable, suggesting a protective effect. The study involved 104 teachers from five schools, with outcomes measured before, immediately after, and five months following the program.