The effect of mindfulness-based practices on fostering the academic resilience of efl learners in high- and low- academic achievement contexts

Previous literature recognizes the importance of mindfulness practices in education; however, few studies investigate the effect of mindfulness on academic resilience. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on the academic resilience and mindfulness levels of high school EFL learners. The study adopted a mixed-method explanatory and a quasi-experimental research design. 60 students participated in the study, with 30 in the experimental groups and 30 in the control groups in high-academic achievement school (HAAS) and low-academic achievement school (LAAS). The experimental groups underwent mindfulness-based practices for 8 weeks with the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) framework (Kabatt-Zin, 1990). The mindfulness level was evaluated using MAAS-A scale (Brown et al., 2011). Academic resilience was evaluated using ARS-30 scale (Cassidy, 2016). Students' perceptions of academic resilience and mindfulness practices were obtained through focus group interviews. The pre-test scores of both schools revealed no significant difference. The post-tests of the experimental group at LAAS indicated a noteworthy improvement in the persistence of academic resilience. Interestingly, the findings of the control group at HAAS showed a significant increase in the adaptive help-seeking while the experimental group had no change in academic resilience. The experimental group at HAAS experienced a significant increase in mindfulness, whereas no significant change was observed in the experimental group at LAAS. Moreover, qualitative data highlighted enhancement in the experimental groups, including optimism, and emotional well-being in both schools. Likewise, students mentioned the positive impacts of mindfulness practices in both schools, including stress reduction, enhanced concentration, and improved anger management. These findings suggest mindfulness-based practices can improve students' academic resilience and mindfulness levels, especially when customized to meet their individual preferences. However, the increase in academic resilience of experimental LAAS students suggests students might learn to become resilient, while the increase in control HAAS students might suggest the students in this context have already these skills and could improve academic resilience without training. Higher mindfulness levels of experimental HAAS students' may indicate they were capable of acquiring these qualities. In this instance, a longer planning period may be necessary to get the desired results for the LAAS students.