Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Academic Performance and Academic Motivation in Adolescent Girls with Test Anxiety

Khadijeh Mojaveri Jouybari

Authors

Khadijeh Mojaveri Jouybari Master of Educational Psychology, Sar.C., Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran. Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1255-490X

Keywords:

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Academic Performance, Academic Motivation, Adolescent Girls, Test Anxiety

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on academic performance and academic motivation among adolescent girls experiencing test anxiety.

Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group. The statistical population consisted of adolescent girls with test anxiety in Juybar, Iran, during the 2025–2026 academic year. Initially, the Spielberger Test Anxiety Questionnaire was administered to 200 students. Thirty participants with the highest levels of test anxiety were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Data were collected using the Academic Performance Questionnaire developed by Pham and Taylor (1999), the Academic Motivation Scale based on Harter’s framework (1980), and the Spielberger Test Anxiety Questionnaire. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Following the intervention, both groups completed the posttest assessments.

Findings: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups after controlling for pretest scores. For academic performance, the intervention produced a statistically significant effect (F = 6.328, p = 0.038), indicating that students who participated in MBCT demonstrated greater improvements in academic performance than those in the control group. Similarly, a significant effect was found for academic motivation (F = 8.375, p = 0.024), showing that MBCT significantly enhanced students’ motivation toward academic activities. Descriptive findings also indicated notable increases in posttest mean scores for both academic performance and academic motivation in the experimental group compared with their pretest scores, whereas only minimal changes were observed in the control group.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is an effective intervention for improving academic performance and academic motivation among adolescent girls with test anxiety.

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