The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Training on Academic Hardiness of Female Students: During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Ahmadishuli, Pouran; Aflaki Fard, Hossein; Keshtvarz Kondazi, Ehsan; Khatemeh Marbueih, Safoora

doi:10.22055/psy.2024.45508.3169

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Training on Academic Hardiness of Female Students: During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Pouran Ahmadishuli ¹

Hossein Aflaki Fard ²

Ehsan Keshtvarz Kondazi ³

Safoora Khatemeh Marbueih ⁴

¹ Master of Psychology Department, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran

²  Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

³  Ph.D., Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran.

⁴ M.A., Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology Darab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Darab, Iran.

10.22055/psy.2024.45508.3169

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction training on the academic persistence of female students during the coronavirus pandemic. This research was a semi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of the research included all female students of the 2nd high school of the 11th year of Marvdasht city in the academic year of 2019-2020. From this population, a sample of 30 people (15 people for each group) was selected by available sampling method and considering the study entry criteria, and randomly replaced in two experimental and control groups. The participants of two groups completed the Academic Hardiness Questionnaire (RAHS) in the pre-test and post-test stages, and meanwhile the experimental group was trained in mindfulness-based stress reduction during 8 sessions of 120 minutes. Inclusion criteria: Low level of academic rigor, 11th grade education, female gender, age range 16 to 19 years, willingness and satisfaction to participate in the project, and desirable physical and mental condition to participate in the research. Exclusion criteria were: receiving psychological treatments before entering the study, being married, the student's unwillingness to continue cooperation in any of the stages of the study, having a history of specific mental illness, having a history of significant physical illness, having missed even one session, and not wanting to continue participating for any reason. After obtaining permission to conduct the research from the Marvdasht City Education Department, the necessary arrangements were made to conduct the research. Data analysis was done using covariance analysis in SPSS-25 software. Data analysis showed that mindfulness-based stress reduction training led to an increase in the average scores of experimental group participants in academic tenacity and its components, including personal commitment, challenge, and emotion control compared to the control group (p<0.01). Therefore, it can be suggested that stress reduction training based on mindfulness is effective on the level of academic persistence and its components, including personal commitment, challenge, and emotion control in female students. According to the findings, stress reduction training based on mindfulness is an effective intervention to improve students' academic persistence.

Keywords

Covid-19 pandemic

Academic persistence

Mindfulness-based stress reduction

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