Abstract
This study examined educators' perceptions of holistic education and its impact on students. It
addressed the problem of the limited emphasis on developing the whole student within
traditional education systems, despite its importance for long-term success. Developing students
holistically involves not only focusing on academic skills but also on non-academic skills such as
social-emotional development, community building, communication, and collaboration. This
mixed-methods study used an online survey administered through Qualtrics consisting of 24
questions, including Likert scale and open-ended items. The survey was completed by 12
educators from a school that has grades 1 through 4. in Southeast Minnesota. Qualitative
responses were analyzed using thematic analysis, and quantitative data were analyzed using
descriptive statistics. Findings suggest that educators place a high level of importance on holistic
education and its constructs. Data also indicate that educators consistently integrate holistic
education into their classroom and instructional practices. Community building emerged as the
highest-valued construct; however, teamwork and collaboration, though still rated as important,
received the lowest mean score compared to other constructs. Results indicate that holistic
education fosters inclusive, safe, and welcoming learning environments, supporting
improvements in academic outcomes, student well-being, and engagement. Overall, this study
concludes that holistic education is widely perceived as an essential component of effective
teaching and underscores the need for its consistent integration in learning environments.
Date Capstone Completed
5-2026
Document Type
Capstone Paper
Degree Name
Masters of Science in Leadership Education: Sport Management
Department
Leadership Education - Graduate Studies
Advisor
Raymond Martinez
Location
Winona, Minnesota
Recommended Citation
Calabrese, Kaitlyn MJ, "Impacts and Perceptions of Holistic Education Practices" (2026). Leadership Education Capstones. 109.
https://openriver.winona.edu/leadershipeducationcapstones/109
