The Effects of Mindfulness Training in the Physical Education on Intention to Physical Activity, Mental Health and Academic Performance among High-School Students

Introduction: Existing studies indicate that mindfulness can effectively enhance emotional education, mindfulness, awareness skills, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and reduce stress levels in students.
Objective: This research was designed to further investigate this issue by examining the impact of a mindfulness intervention program in the physical education (PE) on high school students’ intention to physical activity (PA), mental health, and academic performance.
Methods: The current study employed a semi-experimental approach with an applied purpose, utilizing a pre-test and post-test design in conjunction with a control group. The participants were 45 high-school students aged 15 to 18 years old. They were randomly assigned into experimental (n=24) and control (n=21) groups. Intention to PA and mental health were measured using standard questionnaires. Academic performance was measured using GPA. The experimental group underwent a mindfulness training program for 12 weeks (one sessions per week, totaling 12 sessions) in the interval between the first and second semester. Dependent and independent t-tests using SPSS version 26 were employed to perform the intra- and inter-group comparisons.
Results: Students of both groups were at mild level of depression, anxiety and stress before exposing into the training protocol. Moreover, the findings indicate a significant increment in the intention to PA, mental health (including depression, anxiety and stress) and academic performance among the mindfulness training’ subjects during the post-intervention period (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Given the goal of increasing student participation in PA, the use of mindfulness techniques in PE classes can be seen as a valuable supplement.