Fataneh Mahmoudi

Objective: The present study aimed to present a causal model of academic engagement based on school climate, epistemological beliefs, and problem-solving styles, with the mediating role of academic self-efficacy. Methods and Materials: This study was of a correlational type and employed the structural equation modeling (SEM) method. The statistical population included all high school students in Bushehr County during the 2022-2023 academic year, totaling 1,350 individuals. Based on Cochran's formula, a sample of 299 students was selected through cluster random sampling. Data were collected using the Academic Engagement Questionnaire by Reeve, the School Climate Questionnaire, the Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire by Schommer, the Problem-Solving Styles Questionnaire by Cassidy and Long, and the Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire by Jinks and Morgan. Data analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and path analysis methods. Findings: The research findings indicated that school climate has a direct effect on academic self-efficacy. Epistemological beliefs have a direct effect on academic self-efficacy. Constructive problem-solving styles do not have a significant effect on academic self-efficacy in high school students. Non-constructive problem-solving styles have a significant positive effect on academic self-efficacy in high school students. Academic self-efficacy has a direct effect on academic engagement. School climate has a direct effect on academic engagement. Epistemological beliefs have a direct effect on academic engagement. Constructive problem-solving styles have a significant effect on academic engagement in high school students. Non-constructive problem-solving styles do not have a significant positive effect on academic engagement in high school students. School climate indirectly affects academic engagement through the mediating role of academic self-efficacy. Epistemological beliefs indirectly affect academic engagement through the mediating role of academic self-efficacy. Constructive problem-solving styles do not have an indirect effect on academic engagement considering the mediating role of academic self-efficacy. Non-constructive problem-solving styles have an indirect effect on academic engagement considering the mediating role of academic self-efficacy. Conclusion: The study confirms that school climate, epistemological beliefs, and problem-solving styles significantly influence academic engagement, with academic self-efficacy playing a critical mediating role. These findings highlight the importance of fostering a positive school environment and developing students' self-efficacy and epistemological beliefs to enhance academic engagement and performance.

Objective: The low level of psychological well-being is one of the most common problems of the women who are the heads of households, and various educational programs have been conducted to improve the psychological well-being of such a group. The present study was conducted to outline the effectiveness of mindfulness-based educational intervention in the psychological well-being of women as the heads of households. Methods: This research as a semi-experimental study was done by pretest–posttest design and control group. The study statistical population included all women as the heads of households in Shiraz, who had a file in the Shiraz based welfare office and at the same time their children were studying in schools covered by the 2nd district educational department of Shiraz in 2022–2023. Out of the female heads of the households in the statistical community, 30 women were selected as Purposive sampling and then randomly divided into two 15-individual groups, including experimental group (training on mindfulness-based therapy) and control group. The research tool included Ryff’s psychological well-being scale (Ryff, 1989). The experimental group was subjected to training on mindfulness-based therapy (Baer et al., 2006) during eight 90-min sessions. However, the control group did not receive any intervention. Result: After running the intervention, a significant difference was seen between the components of autonomy, personal growth, purpose in life, self-acceptance, positive relationship with others, and psychological well-being after running the educational intervention between the experimental and control groups (P < 0.05), while no meaningful difference popped up between the experimental and control groups in terms of environmental mastery as one of the aspects measured in psychological well-being scale after the educational intervention (P = 0.602). Conclusion: According to the results, it seems that psychologists can benefit from the method of training on mindfulness-based therapy in order to increase the psychological well-being of women as the heads of households.