Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Spirituality-Based Interventions on Academic Outcomes in Iran: Conceptual Clustering, Statistical Synthesizability, and Temporal Trend Meta-Regression of Preliminary Evidence

Background: Given the growing application of spirituality-based psychological interventions in education, a systematic examination of their effectiveness is essential. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of spirituality therapy on learning and academic performance-related variables in studies conducted in Iran. Additionally,. Methods: This meta-analysis included ۱۱ quasi-experimental studies conducted between ۲۰۱۲ and ۲۰۲۵, selected from reputable Iranian academic databases such as Noormags, Magiran, the Comprehensive Humanities Portal, Elmnet, Civilica, and SID. Studies were included based on criteria such as the use of validated instruments, experimental or quasi-experimental design, and sufficient data for calculating effect sizes. All included studies implemented spirituality therapy interventions targeting academic indicators. Effect sizes were calculated using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA۲) software and Hedges’ g. Results: Five conceptual clusters were analyzed, including negative academic emotions, positive academic-emotional motivation, academic self-evaluation and cognition, academic behaviors and performance, and psychological skills related to learning. Random-effects meta-analyses revealed that spirituality-based interventions had significant and substantial effects in reducing negative academic emotions (Hedges’ g = -۳.۱۰, p < ۰.۰۰۱), enhancing positive emotional-motivational outcomes (g = ۱.۵۶, p < ۰.۰۰۱), improving self-evaluative constructs such as self-concept and self-efficacy (g = ۳.۶۳, p < ۰.۰۰۱), and fostering psychological skills such as communication, problem-solving, and future orientation (g = ۲.۰۸, p < ۰.۰۰۱). However, the overall effect on academic behaviors and performance was not statistically significant (g = -۰.۱۹۸, p = ۰.۶۲۹). Substantial heterogeneity was observed across studies (I² ranging from ۸۳% to ۹۷%), suggesting diverse methodological and contextual factors among the primary studies. Due to the limited number of studies in some clusters, results should be interpreted with caution, and replication with larger samples is recommendedFindings also indicated that the effects of spirituality therapy were more robust and stable among female students compared to males. Meta-regression analysis showed no significant relationship between year of publication and effect size (Hedges’ g), suggesting a consistent trend over time with no systematic fluctuations or structural changes in the effectiveness of spirituality therapy across studies published from ۲۰۱۲ to ۲۰۲۵. Conclusion: The findings of this meta-analysis align with previous research and support the effectiveness of spirituality therapy in enhancing academic indicators.

کلیدواژه ها:

Spirituality ، Spirituality Therapy ، Academic Performance ، Learning ، معنویت ، معنویت درمانی ، تحصیل ، یادگیری.