Mindfulness Training for Academic Achievement, Engagement, and Procrastination in Lower Secondary Students
Tayebeh Aghababaei Pour, Aref Abdolahzadeh Gohari, Laleh Kohansal, Sina Sayadiyan
International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture October 22, 2026 DOI: 10.61838/ijbmc.v13i4.967 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control-group study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Lower secondary school students in grades 7–9 with no prior mindfulness training |
| Interventions | body scan mindful listening stress management academic motivation self-discipline |
| Duration | 8-week mindfulness training program |
| Measures | school GPA records, School Engagement Scale, Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Academic performance Student engagement Procrastination Students Secondary education |
| Key findings | Mindfulness training was associated with higher academic achievement (posttest GPA 75.34 vs 71.12 in controls), higher academic engagement (60.42 vs 52.14), and lower academic procrastination (49.72 vs 57.41) than regular academic activities. The authors conclude that the training improved achievement and engagement and reduced procrastination. |
Abstract
Objective: This study examined the effects of mindfulness training on academic achievement, academic engagement, and academic procrastination among lower secondary school students. Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest control-group design. Participants were lower secondary students in grades 7–9 who met the inclusion criteria and had no prior mindfulness training. They were assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received an eight-week mindfulness training program adapted from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, including breath awareness, body scan, mindful listening, stress management, academic motivation, self-discipline, and mindful strategies for procrastination. The control group continued regular academic activities. Data were collected using school GPA records, the School Engagement Scale, and the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA in SPSS-26.
Findings: Mindfulness training significantly improved academic achievement, with posttest scores increasing from 70.12 ± 5.31 to 75.34 ± 4.89 in the experimental group compared with 69.98 ± 5.26 to 71.12 ± 5.08 in controls (F = 67.97, p < 0.001). Academic engagement also increased significantly from 50.21 ± 9.74 to 60.42 ± 8.21, compared with 49.98 ± 10.02 to 52.14 ± 9.86 in controls (F = 93.72, p < 0.001). Academic procrastination decreased from 60.15 ± 10.48 to 49.72 ± 9.33, compared with 60.08 ± 10.62 to 57.41 ± 9.85 in controls (F = 289.82, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Mindfulness training improved academic achievement and engagement and reduced academic procrastination among lower secondary students.
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 |