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.

logical-emotional approach (Hamidi, Eidi Baigi, Atai Moghanloo and Motalebi, 2013). One of the methods that seems to be effective on self-discipline and perceived academic control is mindfulness training. Mindfulness is generally referred to as cognitive processes in which the mindful person focuses on experiences, feelings, and events that it occurs in the moment, in or around itself (Bauer, Smith, & Allen, 2004). In other words, mindfulness involves adopting a non-judgmental attitude towards personal experiences that are ongoing at the moment. It therefore allows the individual to react less and be more receptive to these experiences (Shapiro, Carlson, Stein, & Friedman, 2006). In fact, the term mindfulness can be defined as a psychological attribute, thought exercise, or a particular state of consciousness (Caldwell and Shaver, 2013). On the other hand, mindfulness is a receptive and non-judgmental consciousness of current events that is created according to the goal in the current moment without inference from moment to moment. Mindfulness is the observation of internal and external stimuli as they occur without any judgment or prejudice. Mindfulness is a skill that allows people to take events for less than what is distressing, and allows people to perceive internal and external realities freely and without distortion, and has a great ability to cope with a wide range of thoughts, emotions. And find experiences, both pleasant and unpleasant. Mindfulness has a positive relationship with peace of mind and psychological health and can be considered as self-regulating attention and directing it towards task (Kabat-Zinn, 2005).
However, according to studies, no attempt has been made to make this approach effective on perceived self-regulation and academic control. Therefore, ignoring the mindfulness approach in increasing self-discipline and perceived academic control can be considered as a serious gap in the literature on intervention in perceived self-regulation and academic control, which the purpose of this study is to fill part of it. Therefore, the present study sought to answer the question of whether mindfulness training can significantly affect the level of self-regulation and perceived academic control of students or not?

RESEARCH METHODS
This research is applied in terms of purpose and semi-experimental in terms of research method using pretest-posttest with a control group. The independent variable was mindfulness-based cognitive therapy that was applied only in the experimental group and its effect on the post-test scores of the experimental group was compared with the control group. The statistical population of the present study was all female high school students in the city of Tehran in 2009-2010. To select the sample, according to the limitations in sampling, first one school was selected from among the high schools in Tehran and then 30 students were selected by simple random sampling method and randomly in the experimental group (15 patients) and the control group (15 patients) were replaced. The criterion for entering the research was conscious consent to participate in the research and the criterion for leaving the research was dissatisfaction with continuing to participate in the research process. At first, the participants of the experimental group and the control group were asked to fill in the self-regulation and academic control questionnaire, then the participants of the experimental group received 8 sessions of mindfulness training program (2 months, once a week and approximately every day, One and a half hour) and the control group participants did not receive any program and continued their normal routine. Group sessions were conducted by the researcher on the experimental group. Each session was with the participation of members and workshop activities. After the training sessions, the participants of the experimental group and the control group again filled out the selfregulatory questionnaire and perceived academic control.  Perry et al. (2001) was used to assess perceived academic control. This scale includes two subscales of academic responsibility and academic controllability and has eight questions, four positive sentences and four negative sentences with scores from strongly agree to strongly disagree, which includes a score of (1-5). Items 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 are related to the responsibility component and items 1, 6, 3 are related to the controllability components. In this scale, the answers are summed up with negative sentences 3,5,6,8 and the highest scores indicate higher academic control. The data of the Likert scale questionnaire are graded. The possible score will be 8 and a maximum of 40. Perry et al. (2001) reported its reliability in their study by Cronbach's alpha of 0.80 and in Hosseini and Khair (2011), the reliability of this questionnaire through Cronbach's alpha was reported to be 0.70. Is. Also, the results of confirmatory factor analysis of the questionnaire in Hosseini and Khair (2011) study indicated the acceptable validity of the questionnaire and confirmed the results of subscales. In this study, the reliability of the instrument was measured by Cronbach's alpha test and the result of responsibility of 0.83 and controllability of 0.81 was reported, which is confirmed. (Table 1)

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In order to better understand the nature of the population under study and become more familiar with the research variables, it is necessary to describe these data before analyzing the statistical data. In terms of demographic characteristics, all participants were female and ranged in age from 15 to 17 years. Table 2 also describes the descriptive characteristics of the whole sample, including scattering indices (standard deviation) and centrifugal indices (mean). In the self-regulation questionnaire, the minimum and maximum scores were 47 and 225, respectively, and in the academic control questionnaire, the minimum and maximum scores were 7 and 35, respectively. As can be seen in Table 2, there is no significant change in the pre-test and post-test of the control group, but in the experimental group the mean of the post-test is higher than the pre-test.  Table 3 shows the standard deviation and the mean of conscious academic control of the experimental and control groups in the pre-test and post-test. According to Table 3, the -133-academic control of the experimental group in the post-test part has a significant increase compared to the pre-test, which is not seen in the control group.

Investigating the homogeneity of variances
After describing the statistical data, the results of the statistical test are reported in this section. In this study, analysis of covariance test was used to analyze the data. To use covariance, its presuppositions, i.e. homogeneity of variances, must be tested by Levin test. These assumptions are examined below. Levin test was used to examine the default equality of variances in groups (p <0.05) ( Table 4). The results of Levin test show that homogeneity of variances is observed.

Normality of data
When checking the normality of the data, the null hypothesis that the data distribution is normal is checked at the 5% error level. Therefore, if the test statistic is greater than or equal to 5%, then there is no reason to reject the null hypothesis that the data distribution is normal. To test the normality of data distribution, statistical hypotheses are set as follows:  Null Hypothesis: The distribution of data related to each of the variables is normal.  Alternative Hypothesis: The distribution of data related to each of the variables is not normal. As shown in Table 5, all research variables have a normal distribution (p <0.05). In other words, the null hypothesis for the normal distribution of scores of self-regulatory and academic control variables as well as subscales of both variables in both control and experimental groups has been confirmed. Therefore, the assumption that the distribution of scores of variables is normal in both control and experimental groups is confirmed.  Because the researcher is trying to eliminate possible initial differences between groups, covariance analysis should be used. There was a significant increase in self-regulation of the experimental group in the post-test compared to before the intervention (p <0.05) ( Table 6). It can be said that mindfulness training on cognitive strategies has been desirable. Mindfulness training has been able to significantly increase cognitive strategies. Eta squared, which indicates the effect of the intervention, states that the intervention was able to differentiate 37.8% of the variances within the experimental group. Therefore, the hypothesis is confirmed. Based on the results of Table 7, it can be seen that after adjusting the pre-test scores, there was a significant effect of group factor (P <0.05) and (F = 4.503). The adjusted mean scores show that people who received mindfulness training had much higher selfregulation and control strategies (metacognitive and resource management) than the control group. According to ETA square, the effect of this intervention in the post-test was 13.9%.  Table 8, it can be seen that after adjusting the pre-test scores, there was a significant effect of group factor (P <0.05) and (F = 8.648). The adjusted mean scores show that people who received mindfulness training had much higher motivational beliefs than the control group. According to ETA square, the effect of this intervention in the post-test was 23.6%. Based on the results of Table 9, it can be seen that after adjusting the pre-test scores, there was a significant effect of group factor (P <0.05) and (F = 1.304). The adjusted mean scores show that people who received mindfulness training had higher informed academic control compared to the control group. As a result, the hypothesis that mindfulness training has an effect on the conscious academic controllability of female students is confirmed. Based on the results of Table 10, it can be seen that after adjusting the pre-test scores, there was a significant effect of group factor (P <0.05) and (F = 1.114). The adjusted mean scores show that people who received mindfulness training had higher conscious academic responsibility compared to the control group. According to Eta squared, the effect of this intervention in the post-test was 10%.

CONCLUSION
The main purpose of this study is the effectiveness of mindfulness training on selfregulation and perceived academic control of female students. The results show that mindfulness training on cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, motivational beliefs, academic controllability and academic responsibility of female students' relationship there is a positive and significant and in general it can be acknowledged that mindfulness training has an effect on self-regulation and perceived academic control of female students. The results showed that the relationship between mindfulness training and self-regulation of female students is positive and significant. Based on Arouti, Ebrahimi, Saadipour, Delavar and Dortaj (2019), it can be concluded that the reproductive education program is effective in increasing cognitive, metacognitive self-regulation and motivational beliefs of students. The results of Malek Mohammadi and Ghorbani Bosari (2019) showed the effect -136-of mindfulness training on self-regulation in students with depression. The results of Engelschalk, Store and Drissel (2016) study entitled self-regulatory education in students 'academic achievement motivation showed that self-regulatory education has a positive and significant effect on students' academic achievement motivation. The results of Yu and Kong (2014) showed that pleasure has a moderating role between perceived academic control and self-regulation, but fatigue and anxiety showed a moderating effect on the relationship between perceived academic control and self-regulation. The results indicate that the relationship between mindfulness training and perceived academic control of female students is positive and significant. Accordingly, in line with the results of research by Haddad Ranjbar and Chegini (1397) showed that positive emotions not only have a positive and direct effect on metacognitive self-regulation but can also facilitate the effect of perceived academic control on metacognitive self-regulation. Findings of Baranian, Zoghibi Qannad (1397) showed that people with high self-efficacy have more academic control and are less likely to engage in academic dishonesty. The results of Mori, Pour, Akbari Borang (1397) indicate that there is a positive and significant relationship between self-discipline and scientific-perceptual control over students' academic achievement. Fardafshari, Pourshahriyar, Shokri and Fathabadi (2017) Based on the obtained results, the indirect effect of tendency optimism on psychological disturbance through conscious academic control (academic responsibility and academic controllability) is predictable. Ghanbari and Masoudi (2016) with the title of mindfulness based on cognitive pattern on early maladaptive schemas, the source of control and cognitive regulation of emotion, showed that training cognitive skills based on cognitive pattern on early maladaptive schemas, The source of control and cognitive regulation of students' emotion has been effective. The results of Khalili Ezzatabadi Zadeh (2016) indicate that the higher the students' academic control and the more appropriate self-regulation strategies, the higher their psychological well-being. In a study comparing self-esteem and perceived academic control as predictors of students, Stopinsky and Perry (2013) concluded that emotion, impatience, and anxiety are positive predictors of perceived academic control. In contrast, students' self-esteem is negatively related to anxiety. The results of Solberg and Segstrom (2010) showed that students who have a strong sense of control have more autonomy, supervisory strategies, responsibility and a sense of control over homework and also use more learning guidance. The results of these studies are inconsistent with Rezapour Mir Saleh and Fotouhi Ardakani (2016) in their research concluded that only in terms of student perception of learning between gifted and control students (in favor of control schools) there was a significant difference and in While the other dimensions of the educational-learning environment as well as the source of academic control, there was no difference between the two schools. Explaining the hypothesis of mindfulness training on self-regulation can be stated: Selfregulation is an important aspect of students' learning and academic performance in the classroom environment. Thus, self-discipline determines what the student is studying for and what they need to know about themselves and their academic work in order to learn independently. Perceived academic control, on the other hand, refers to an individual's belief in his or her "perception" of abilities that reflect that person's mentality and not necessarily objective features (Thompson-Sobel-Shobin, Galbraith, Schwankovsky, & Kruzen, 1993). Practicing frequent focus on neutral phenomena such as breathing, awareness of thoughts and physical feelings increases self-control. Because this insight and awareness creates a sense of responsibility to manage thoughts, emotions in people, and to the extent that people can manage the type and intensity of their emotions and feelings -137-about different educational events, they will have better and higher adaptation to environmental conditions. Students who manage negative emotions better thus feel better and more in control of homework and the whole of life. Therefore, as the mindfulness of individual increases, along with it, the adaptive performance of the individual, skills such as understanding, comprehending, managing and controlling the emotions of oneself and others, as well as the quality of academic life of individuals, increase. There were some limitations in the present study: The present study was conducted using a quasiexperimental design. It is worth mentioning that the use of experimental design requires careful control of variables and other factors, so it is natural that in such research, there are problems and obstacles that are beyond the control of the researcher in practice, as well as the short time between pre-test and post-test. It can be mentioned as a factor in the limitation of research, because it makes the risk of pre-test effect in the research process possible. For further research, it is suggested that due to the quantitative nature of this project, in another study with the same title, researchers to qualitatively examine the relationship between variables and the effect of mindfulness training on students' selfregulation and academic control in the form of case and field study. The statistical population of the present study was limited to female high school students. Due to the ethnic, biological, racial and cultural diversity that prevails in the country, it is suggested that other educational levels and age groups in other statistical communities be examined and analyzed, and also that counselors and psychologists are recommended to use the method Use mindfulness training to improve students' self-discipline and conscious academic control skills.