Modified focusing as a contemplative pedagogy in an MSW research course.

Students working toward a Master's of Social Work in Israeli colleges must complete a demanding research seminar course, a source of stress for many. Focusing is a contemplative practice that these and other students may use to self-regulate their emotions and better cope with the seminar course and beyond. This qualitative research assessed the impact of introducing a modified focusing approach to 17 MSW students enrolled in a research seminar course at a college in Northern Israel. Participants wrote individual reflections on their experience. Analysis revealed four main themes: turning inward, clear thinking, the body knows (a sense of knowledge), and practical application (a sense of efficacy). The results of this contemplative pedagogy suggest students who learn meditative methods of self-regulation, such as focusing, can shift rapidly from stressful states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]