The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Self-regulation and Perceived Academic Control of Girl Students

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness training on self-regulation and perceived academic control of female students. The research is applied in terms of purpose and quasi-experimental in terms of method using pretest-posttest with a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all female high school students in Tehran in the academic year 2019-2020. First, a school was selected from among them and 30 students were selected by random sampling method and were randomly assigned to the experimental group (15 people) and the control group (15 people). The experimental group was trained in 8 sessions of the Mindfulness Training Program (2017). The self-regulatory questionnaire by Pintrich and DeGroot (1990) and the Perry et al.'s (2001) Conscious Academic Control Scale were used to collect data. One-way covariance test was used to analyze the data. The results showed that mindfulness training method has a significant effect on increasing students' self-regulation and conscious academic control.

The Role of Parental Self-Efficacy in Explaining Children’s Academic Outcomes

Students’ educational outcomes are influenced by several factors that are not directly related to their personal characteristics, among which parental beliefs and behaviours are of special relevance. The present study was conducted on a sample of 301 primary school students and their parents, who completed a set of prepared questionnaires used for investigating the contribution of parental self-efficacy and the perception of parental involvement to students’ academic achievement, perceived academic control and achievement goals. The obtained results indicated parental self-efficacy as a predictor of perceived academic control and avoidance goals, whereas perception of parental involvement predicted perceived academic control, mastery approach and work avoidance goals. These findings confirm and extend previous knowledge regarding the relevance of parents’ engagement to children’s educational outcomes.

The Relationships Between Need-Supportive Interactions With Peers and Teachers, Perceived Academic Control, and Academic Success

This study discusses the relationships between students' need-supportive interactions, perceived academic control, and academic success. The survey involved 192 undergraduate students from different applied sciences universities in The Netherlands. The study examined if students' interactions with peers and teachers, in support of their needs (relatedness, autonomy, and competence), would improve perceptions of academic control and academic success. The constructs of perceived academic control, basic psychological needs, and students’ formal and informal interaction with peers and teachers were linked to each other in a path model. The findings of path analysis showed that need-supportive interactions predicted positive perceptions of academic control and academic success. Most relevant to positive perceptions of academic control were students' formal interactions with peers and teachers supporting their autonomy and competence. Positive perceptions of academic control subsequently supported academic success.

Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Anxiety Reduction as well as Improvement of Life Quality and Perceived Academic Control of Students

Background and Aims: Student life has its challenges although it offers new opportunities for the individual. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness training on reducing anxiety and improving the quality of life as well as perceived academic control of students. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted based on a pretest and posttest design with a control group. The population of this study consisted of 40 students who were identified through anxiety, quality of life, and perceived academic control questionnaires. They were then randomly assigned to the case (n=20) and control (n=20) groups. The experimental group was subjected to eight 2-h mindfulness training sessions for two months. On the other hand, the control group received no pieces of training. It should be mentioned that the posttest sessions were administered for both groups. The data were analyzed using covariance analysis. Results: The results showed that the implementation of mindfulness training sessions had a significant effect on reducing anxiety (P<0.001) and improving quality of life (P<0.001) as well as perceived academic control (P<0.001) in students. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it is recommended that mindfulness training be provided to develop and promote students` psychological health

The Relevance of Learning Approaches and the Temporal Perspective for Test-Taking

Test-taking is an integral part of students’ lives, and the way they approach tests may be of high relevance for their academic outcomes. Therefore, the present study addressed the way college students reflect on the process of preparing for tests. Specifically, it investigated the relevance of students' achievement goals, perceived academic control, and consideration of future consequences for several aspects of the test-taking process. The results obtained revealed mastery goals, perceived academic control, and the ability to disengage from the present moment as significant predictors of students’ satisfaction with knowledge. Furthermore, higher success optimism was associated with having higher perceived academic control, more pronounced mastery goals, less pronounced social solidarity goals, and a higher tendency to focus on the future, whereas perceived academic control was revealed to be a significant predictor of the perceived ease of preparing for tests.