Reducing STEM test anxiety through classroom mindfulness training for lower secondary school children: a pilot study

ABSTRACT

Although mindfulness is effective in reducing anxiety, research on its impact on test anxiety among lower secondary school children in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related disciplines is limited. Using a one-group pre – post-test research design, this pilot study evaluated the impact of classroom mindfulness meditation training on test anxiety in STEM-related disciplines with 197 sixth-grade students (54.3% boys, aged 10–12 years) from public schools in Kosovo. Mindfulness training significantly decreased students’ test anxiety levels in STEM-related disciplines. Mindfulness helped students calm down, reduced their academic anxiety, and increased their self-esteem. A significant decrease in test anxiety among participants who reported that the training improved their self-esteem and reduced their academic anxiety and stress was ascertained. Regarding sex differences, meditation activities significantly decreased test anxiety scores among girls. Mindfulness training can be employed as a stress-reduction strategy that can be easily incorporated into classroom pedagogy.

KEYWORDS:

• Mindfulness
• STEM
• test anxiety
• lower secondary school
• students
• sex

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the students who participated in the intervention, the Prishtina Municipality Education Directorate, teachers, and school counsellors of the public middle schools in the municipality of Prishtina – Ismail Qemaili, Pjeter Bogdani, Nazim Gafurri, and Zenel Hajdini – for their support in implementing the project. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank the expert involved in the project, Prof. Dr. Moshe Landsman, for his valuable feedback during the project implementation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [JK], upon reasonable request.

Informed consent

Parential/guardian consent was obtained for all study participants.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Ministry of Education , Science, Technology, and Innovation in Kosovo, under the small scientific project grants: promoting the importance of STEM-related fields while reducing anxiety and improving self-efficacy of the students [Project Nr. 2-2459-16]. The content and recommendations do not represent the official position of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation in Kosovo and the Department of Psychology, University of Prishtina. Note: This financial support does not include the research article publication fees.

Notes on contributors

Zamira Hyseni Duraku

Zamira Hyseni Duraku is an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”. Her research interests include multilevel factors that influence the quality of education and well-being of Kosovar citizens, from preschool to higher education. In the past several years, she has been continuously engaged in researching and identifying factors that influence the mental health and well-being of Kosovar citizens, including children, youth, parents, and teachers.

Jon Konjufca

Jon Konjufca is an assistant in the Department of Psychology, University of Pristina “Hasan Prishtina”. He is a candidate for doctoral studies at the University of Basel, with a thesis titled ‘Evidence-Based Diagnosis and Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder Using Technology’. His research interests include the phenomenon of violence in schools, the work practices of school psychologists, as well as the use of technology to facilitate the diagnosis of various disorders and to improve mental health.

Linda Hoxha

Linda Hoxha has been a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Psychology, University of Prishtina since 2013. Ms. Hoxha holds a PhD from Ludwig Maximilians University in Psychology, with a thesis titled ‘Conceptions of Kosovar employees on Creative Leadership: An exploratory design with mixed methods’, as well as an MA in Psychology of Excellence in Business and Education from Ludwig Maximilians University, and a BA in Psychology from the Department of Psychology, University of Prishtina. Her research work and interests include leadership, creativity, personality traits, motivational factors, parenting styles, and education.

Artë Blakaj

Artë Blakaj is in her final year of MA studies in School and Counseling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”. Arta also completed a semester in Sapienza University in Rome, Italy. Her research interests include learning skills, mental health, and education.

Blerinë Bytyqi

Blerinë Bytyqi is in her final year of MA studies in School and Counseling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”. Her research interests include overall education, test anxiety, and students’ development.

Erona Mjekiqi

Erona Mjekiqi is in her final year of MA studies in School and Counseling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”. Her research interests include mindfulness, academic performance, and education.

Shkurtë Bajgora

Shkurtë Bajgora completed her MA studies in School and Counseling Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”. She is the principal researcher of the Package for School Psychologists and Pedagogues. She helped develop the platform shendetimendor.org in collaboration with the Psychology Department and is now project manager at the Institute of Psychology and at the Center for Global Health (CGH), which is developing the first Albanian application for mental health. Her research work and interests include education system, teaching quality, relaxation techniques, PTSD in natural disaster victims, psychological distress and anxiety among teachers and students, career orientation, study skills, and self-esteem.