The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Academic Motivation, Cognitive Flexibility and Attribution Styles in Students

Introduction: The study of students' motivational and cognitive aspects provides important insights into how they interact in the educational environment, serving as a resource for planning strategies to reduce their psychological and academic problems. One of the basic psychological variables that drives students to learn and achieve academic success is motivation (Griffin, 2016). Academic motivation fosters internal active learning and influences the meaning and cognitive activities associated with the learning process (Finch et al., 2024). Attribution theory, which explains how people understand and interpret events, is relevant to academic behaviors (Weiner, 1979). This theory suggests that personal and environmental experiences, such as social norms and prior knowledge, can affect attribution types. Cognitive flexibility, another cognitive construct, enhances motivation and optimism (Cardom, 2016). Individuals with cognitive flexibility effectively solve problems in challenging situations. Mindfulness has been linked to positive psychology variables, with interventions shown to improve outcomes like hope, optimism, motivation, and academic performance (Shute, 2019). Over the past two decades, mindfulness programs have increased in schools (Ergas, 2019). Despite this, few studies have examined mindfulness training's impact on attribution styles, cognitive flexibility, and motivation in Iran. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of mindfulness training on these variables in adolescent students.
Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test structure, including a control group. The research population consisted of all eighth-grade female students at the first stage high school in Hamedan during the 2023-2024 academic year. Available sampling was used to select the sample, which was divided into experimental (21 students) and control (21 students) groups. All intervention processes were conducted by one of the researchers in school classrooms. The research tools included the Attributional Style Questionnaire (Peterson & Seligman, 1984), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010), and the Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand et al., 1992). Ethical considerations included voluntary participation, the right to withdraw from the intervention at any time, and the principles of confidentiality and privacy of information. In the pre-test phase, both groups completed the questionnaires. The experimental group then received mindfulness training adapted for children and adolescents in eight one-hour sessions, while the control group did not. Both groups completed the questionnaires again in the post-test phase.
Results: Descriptive indicators such as mean and standard deviation were used to describe the data, and multivariate analysis of covariance was employed to test the research hypotheses. The analysis revealed that mindfulness training had a significant effect on enhancing students' academic motivation (F = 43.84, p < 0.01). The mean academic motivation scores of the students in the experimental group increased significantly in the post-test compared to the control group. Mindfulness also significantly improved cognitive flexibility (F = 5.97, p < 0.05), as evidenced by higher mean cognitive flexibility scores in the experimental group. Additionally, mindfulness significantly reduced negative attribution styles (F = 32.37, p < 0.01) and increased positive attribution styles (F = 7.71, p < 0.01) in the experimental group.
Discussion and Conclusion: This study aimed to examine the effect of mindfulness training on attribution styles, cognitive flexibility, and academic motivation among female junior high school students. Mindfulness focuses on the present, enhancing learners' motivation without stress (Hafenbrack & Vohs, 2018). By teaching individuals to be aware of the present and not focus on the past or future, mindfulness reduces habitual thinking and increases mental flexibility. The results indicate that mindfulness training made students more aware of their thoughts and emotions, teaching them new ways to manage challenges. This was effective in improving their academic motivation, mental flexibility, and attribution styles. Given its effectiveness, it is suggested that mindfulness training workshops be held continuously to familiarize counselors with mindfulness and implement it effectively in schools.