The Effectiveness of Academic Mindfulness Training on Reducing Academic Procrastination with the Moderating Role of Academic Self-Efficacy in Female High School Students

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of academic mindfulness training on reducing academic procrastination, emphasizing the moderating role of academic self-efficacy among female second-year high school students.

Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was employed. The statistical population comprised all female second-year high school students in the city of Qorveh during the 2025–2026 academic year, totaling 1,237 students. From this population, 30 eligible students were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two groups: experimental ($n = 15$) and control ($n = 15$). The experimental group received academic mindfulness training over eight sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Solomon and Rothblum Academic Procrastination Scale (1984) and the Morgan and Jinks Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (1999). Data analysis was performed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and moderated regression via the PROCESS macro in SPSS.

Findings: The ANCOVA results demonstrated that academic mindfulness training had a significant effect on reducing academic procrastination. Additionally, the moderated regression results revealed a significant interaction effect between group and academic self-efficacy on academic procrastination, indicating the moderating role of academic self-efficacy. The examination of conditional effects further revealed that the effectiveness of mindfulness training was significant across all three levels of self-efficacy; however, as the level of academic self-efficacy increased, the magnitude of procrastination reduction intensified.

Conclusion: Academic mindfulness training is an effective intervention for curbing students' procrastinatory behaviors, and its efficacy is reinforced within the context of high academic self-efficacy. Therefore, integrating mindfulness interventions with strategies aimed at enhancing self-efficacy beliefs in schools is recommended.