The Impact of Flow Experience on Perceived Socio-Emotional Competence and Academic Well-being: Analyzing the Mediating Role of Mindfulness

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Corresponding author, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education & Psychology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

2 M.A. in Educational Management, Sistan and Baluchestan Provincial Education Organization, Zahedan, Iran.

10.22091/jrim.2025.12971.1287

Abstract

In recent years, concepts such as flow experience, mindfulness, and academic well-being have garnered increasing attention from researchers in educational sciences and psychology as key factors in students’ psychological and social development. In this context, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of flow experience on perceived social-emotional competence and academic well-being, with mindfulness serving as a mediating role among high school students in Zahedan. This research, in terms of purpose, is applied, and in terms of methodology, is descriptive-survey based on a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The statistical population consisted of all students in the second level of secondary school in District 2 of Zahedan, totaling 1,500 individuals. According to Krejcie and Morgan’s table (1971), a sample size of 306 students was determined using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Flow State Scale (Jackson & Marsh, 1996), the Academic Well-being Questionnaire (Touminen-Soini et al., 2012), the Perceived Social-Emotional Competence Scale (Boyatzis, 2005), and the Mindfulness Questionnaire (Baer., 2003). The validity and reliability of the instruments were confirmed. Data analysis was conducted at both descriptive and inferential levels using the Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling via SPSS version 23 and LISREL version 8.8. The results indicated that flow experience had a significant and positive effect on social-emotional competence (β = 0.22, P < 0.05), mindfulness (β = 0.88, P < 0.05), and academic well-being (β = 0.68, P < 0.05). Furthermore, flow experience significantly influenced social-emotional competence (β = 0.44, P < 0.05) and academic well-being (β = 0.17, P < 0.05) through the mediating role of mindfulness. A significant positive relationship was also observed between mindfulness and academic well-being (β = 0.20, P < 0.05). These findings underscore the importance of flow experience and mindfulness in enhancing students’ perceived social-emotional competence and academic well-being. The results may inform the development of effective educational and psychological interventions for adolescents.

Keywords

References

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Research In Instructional Methods
Volume 3, Issue 4 - Serial Number 12
February 2026
Pages 121-133

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History

  • Receive Date: 17 May 2025
  • Revise Date: 20 June 2025
  • Accept Date: 17 July 2025

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