Metacognitive and Mindfulness Training Effects on Academic Boredom and Rumination in Procrastinating Students

Objective: Academic procrastination remains a pervasive challenge among students, frequently precipitating adverse psychological and scholastic consequences, including academic boredom and chronic rumination. This eststudy aimed to evaluate and juxtapose the therapeutic efficacy of two targeted psychological interventions—metacognitive strategies training and mindfulness training—in alleviating these sequelae among male high school students exhibiting pronounced academic procrastination. Methods: Employing a randomized controlled trial framework with a pre-test-post-test design and a one-month follow-up, this study drew from a population of male high school students in Dezful County, Iran, during the ۲۰۲۴–۲۰۲۵ academic year. Through cluster random sampling, ۴۵ participants screened positive for academic procrastination using the Procrastination Assessment Scale–Students were recruited and allocated equally (n=۱۵ per group) to either a metacognitive strategies training group, a mindfulness training group, or a no-intervention control group. The former underwent ten ۹۰-minute weekly sessions, while the latter completed eight analogous sessions. Outcomes were assessed via the Dutch boredom scale (DUBS) and rumination-response scale (RRS). Data underwent scrutiny through repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) supplemented by Bonferroni post hoc comparisons. Results: Analyses revealed that both interventions yielded statistically significant reductions in academic boredom and rumination relative to controls (P<۰.۰۰۱), with large effect sizes (partial η²>۰.۷۶ for key interactions). Follow-up assessments substantiated the persistence of these gains over time. Notably, intergroup comparisons disclosed no differential efficacy between the metacognitive and mindfulness cohorts. Conclusion: These results affirm the comparable and enduring utility of metacognitive strategies and mindfulness training in remediating academic boredom and rumination among procrastinating students. Despite the modest sample size, which may limit generalizability, the findings advocate for the synergistic incorporation of cognitive-behavioral and third-wave paradigms within school-based counseling protocols to foster resilient educational environments.

کلیدواژه ها:

Metacognition ، Mindfulness ، Academic boredom ، Rumination ، Procrastination