Supporting student teachers’ relational competencies and mindfulness in a Danish teacher education program

A presentation of research from the context of Danish pre-service teacher education. In a systematic waitlist control group study student teachers have been offered an extracurricular course focused on e.g. relational competences. The design has been mixed method with qualitative interview data and quantitative experimental data showing an effect on the student teachers’ mental health. The background for these effects and the connection to the students teachers’ relational work as prospective teachers were discussed in the presentation including e.g. a thematic analysis highlighting 5 issues referring to student teachers perceived outcomes: 1) A fruitful tension between something well known and something very different, 2) a synthesis in both body and brain, 3) difference compared to the normal performance orientation and acceleration, 4) a community of learning together has developed and has been experienced as supportive, this is both among peers but also scaffolded by the teacher educators, 5) the student teachers themselves experience to have developed competencies they intend to use with future students and colleagues.