The Effectiveness of a Social–Emotional Learning Program Based on Cognitive–Behavioral and Mindfulness Approaches on the Development of Values and Academic Meaning among Students with High-Risk Behaviors
Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of a social–emotional learning (SEL) program based on cognitive–behavioral and mindfulness approaches on values and academic meaning among students with high-risk behaviors.
Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with experimental and control groups and a two-month follow-up was employed. The statistical population comprised male high school students in Khoy County during the 2025–2026 academic year. Forty students with high-risk behaviors, identified using the Iranian Adolescents Risk-Taking Scale, were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 20) and control (n = 20) groups. Data were collected using the Portrait Values Questionnaire and the Academic Meaning Scale. The experimental group received a 12-session SEL program integrating cognitive–behavioral and mindfulness techniques, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using mixed-design analysis of variance (Mixed ANOVA) in IBM SPSS Statistics 23.
Results: The intervention significantly improved values and academic meaning among students with high-risk behaviors compared with the control group (P < 0.01). These improvements remained stable at the two-month follow-up, indicating sustained intervention effects.
Conclusion: A social–emotional learning program integrating cognitive–behavioral and mindfulness approaches effectively enhanced values and academic meaning among students with high-risk behaviors. These findings support the inclusion of this intervention as a complementary strategy in school-based educational and
badri gargari, R. , nemati, S. , Adib, Y. , habibi, H. and yekanizad, A. (2026). The Effectiveness of a Social–Emotional Learning Program Based on Cognitive–Behavioral and Mindfulness Approaches on the Development of Values and Academic Meaning among Students with High-Risk Behaviors. Positive Psychology Research, (), -. doi: 10.22108/ppls.2026.149491.2736
MLA
badri gargari, R. , , nemati, S. , , Adib, Y. , , habibi, H. , and yekanizad, A. . "The Effectiveness of a Social–Emotional Learning Program Based on Cognitive–Behavioral and Mindfulness Approaches on the Development of Values and Academic Meaning among Students with High-Risk Behaviors", Positive Psychology Research, , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22108/ppls.2026.149491.2736
HARVARD
badri gargari, R., nemati, S., Adib, Y., habibi, H., yekanizad, A. (2026). 'The Effectiveness of a Social–Emotional Learning Program Based on Cognitive–Behavioral and Mindfulness Approaches on the Development of Values and Academic Meaning among Students with High-Risk Behaviors', Positive Psychology Research, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22108/ppls.2026.149491.2736
CHICAGO
R. badri gargari , S. nemati , Y. Adib , H. habibi and A. yekanizad, "The Effectiveness of a Social–Emotional Learning Program Based on Cognitive–Behavioral and Mindfulness Approaches on the Development of Values and Academic Meaning among Students with High-Risk Behaviors," Positive Psychology Research, (2026): -, doi: 10.22108/ppls.2026.149491.2736
VANCOUVER
badri gargari, R., nemati, S., Adib, Y., habibi, H., yekanizad, A. The Effectiveness of a Social–Emotional Learning Program Based on Cognitive–Behavioral and Mindfulness Approaches on the Development of Values and Academic Meaning among Students with High-Risk Behaviors. Positive Psychology Research, 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22108/ppls.2026.149491.2736