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Volume 24, Issue 154 (12-2025)
Journal of Psychological Science 2025, 24(154): 1-25 |
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Jafarpoor F, Mazaheri M A, Ghanbari S, Fathabadi J. (2025). Developing and evaluating an attachment- and mentalization-based intervention to improve student-teacher relationships in junior high school using the intervention mapping. Journal of Psychological Science. 24(154), 1-25.
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-2764-en.html
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-2764-en.html
Professor, Faculty of Education & Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran (Corresponding Author) , mazaheri45@gmail.com
Abstract: (798 Views)
Background: Positive student-teacher relationships are fundamental for students’ academic development and psychological well-being. However, most attachment- and mentalization-based interventions have primarily focused on early childhood, with limited attention to the critical period of adolescence. Moreover, these interventions have been predominantly developed in individualistic Western contexts, raising concerns about their applicability to collectivist cultures such as Iran.
Aims: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an eight-session intervention program based on attachment theory and mentalization, developed using the Intervention Mapping framework, to enhance the quality of student-teacher relationships in junior high schools.
Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group and a one-month follow-up was employed. The study population included all junior high school teachers and students in Yazd during the 2024–2025 academic year. Five schools were selected from this population, and within these schools, 32 teachers were chosen using convenience sampling. Subsequently, eight students were randomly selected from the list of all students taught by each teacher. Teachers were then randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in an eight-session, theory-based intervention program targeting improved student-teacher relationships, designed using the Intervention Mapping approach. Data were collected using the Adapted Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (Jafarpoor et al., 2025) and the Mentalization Scale (Dimitrijevic et al., 2018) for teachers, as well as the Perception of Teacher's Support Questionnaire (Benzon et al., 2017) and the School Belongingness Scale (Brown & Evans, 2002) for students. Data analysis was conducted using repeated-measures ANOVA in SPSS 25.
Results: The intervention significantly improved the quality of student-teacher relationships
(p< 0.01). Students in the experimental group reported a significant increase in perceived teacher support (p< 0.01) and sense of school belonging (p< 0.01) compared to the control group. Teachers also reported significant improvements in mentalization skills (p< 0.01).
Conclusion: Given the demonstrated effectiveness of the attachment and mentalization-based intervention for enhancing student-teacher relationships in junior high schools, its implementation in educational settings is recommended to improve relational quality and foster more supportive learning environments.
Aims: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an eight-session intervention program based on attachment theory and mentalization, developed using the Intervention Mapping framework, to enhance the quality of student-teacher relationships in junior high schools.
Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group and a one-month follow-up was employed. The study population included all junior high school teachers and students in Yazd during the 2024–2025 academic year. Five schools were selected from this population, and within these schools, 32 teachers were chosen using convenience sampling. Subsequently, eight students were randomly selected from the list of all students taught by each teacher. Teachers were then randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in an eight-session, theory-based intervention program targeting improved student-teacher relationships, designed using the Intervention Mapping approach. Data were collected using the Adapted Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (Jafarpoor et al., 2025) and the Mentalization Scale (Dimitrijevic et al., 2018) for teachers, as well as the Perception of Teacher's Support Questionnaire (Benzon et al., 2017) and the School Belongingness Scale (Brown & Evans, 2002) for students. Data analysis was conducted using repeated-measures ANOVA in SPSS 25.
Results: The intervention significantly improved the quality of student-teacher relationships
(p< 0.01). Students in the experimental group reported a significant increase in perceived teacher support (p< 0.01) and sense of school belonging (p< 0.01) compared to the control group. Teachers also reported significant improvements in mentalization skills (p< 0.01).
Conclusion: Given the demonstrated effectiveness of the attachment and mentalization-based intervention for enhancing student-teacher relationships in junior high schools, its implementation in educational settings is recommended to improve relational quality and foster more supportive learning environments.
Keywords: Attachment, Educational intervention, Junior high school, Mentalization, Perception of teacher's support, Sense of school belonging, Student-teacher relationship
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2024/12/27 | Accepted: 2025/02/28 | Published: 2025/12/28
Received: 2024/12/27 | Accepted: 2025/02/28 | Published: 2025/12/28
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