Effectiveness of ANAPANA Mindfulness Meditation on Sustained Attention, Academic Self-Regulation, and Academic Performance Among Middle School Students
N. Rajkumar, G. S. Prakasha
Advances in Computational Intelligence and Robotics June 18, 2026 DOI: 10.4018/979-8-2600-2463-8.ch011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Middle school students in Sangareddy District, Telangana, India |
| Intervention | Anapana mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Measures | PEBL Clock test, Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire-A, school examination scores |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The eight-week Anapana mindfulness intervention improved sustained attention, academic self-regulation, and academic performance in middle school students compared to a control group, suggesting the practice can make a meaningful difference in managing distractions and academic demands. |
Abstract
Middle school is a phase where these young students are expected to focus, manage their learning, balance their emotions, and perform well in academics- all at once. It is difficult for the students to accomplish any of these regularly in the world crowded with digital distractions, and intensifying academic pressure. This chapter examines whether a simple, ancient breath-awareness practice called Anapana mindfulness meditation can make a meaningful difference. A quasi experimental study conducted with sixty middle school students in Sangareddy District, Telangana, India. Thirty students received an eight week structured Anapana mindfulness intervention and other thirty are for comparison in control group. The study measured changes in Sustained Attention (using the PEBL Clock test), Academic self-regulation (using the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire-A), and Academic Performance (using school examination scores). The results were remarkable.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 21
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
and 16 more in the library