Mindfulness as a buffer against job burnout and teaching motivation decline in academia

Faculty members are central to higher education quality, yet increasing job demands have heightened stress and burnout, particularly in resource-limited settings. Mindfulness has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance well-being and teaching motivation while reducing burnout. This cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study investigated the level of mindfulness and its association with teaching motivation and job burnout among 156 faculty members at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in 2025. Participants (51.9% female, mean age 48.85) completed validated self-report questionnaires assessing mindfulness, teaching motivation, and job burnout. Results indicated moderate to low levels of mindfulness and average scores for both teaching motivation and job burnout. “Acting with awareness” was the strongest mindfulness facet, while “non-reactivity to internal experience” was the weakest. Emotional exhaustion was the most prominent burnout dimension. Statistical analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between mindfulness and teaching motivation and a negative correlation between mindfulness and burnout. These findings underscore the potential benefits of mindfulness in fostering motivation and mitigating job burnout among medical faculty, highlighting the need for targeted interventions in similar institutional contexts.

Shekari H. Forecasting job burnout among university faculty members of Yazd Payame Noor University using artificial neural network technique. Occup Med 2018;10:62-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/tkj.v10i4.1736

Hidajat TJ, Edwards EJ, Wood R, Campbell M. Mindfulness-based interventions for stress and burnout in teachers: a systematic review. Teach Teach Educ 2023;134:104303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104303

Bishop SR, Lau M, Shapiro S, et al. Mindfulness: a proposed operational definition. Clin Psychol Sci Pract 2004;11:230-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bph077

Flook L, Goldberg SB, Pinger L, et al. Mindfulness for teachers: a pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout and teaching efficacy. Mind Brain Educ 2013;7:10.1111/mbe.12026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12026

Hoglund WL, Klingle KE, Hosan NE. Classroom risks and resources: teacher burnout, classroom quality and children’s adjustment in high needs elementary schools. J Sch Psychol 2015;53:337-57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2015.06.002

Tsang KKY, Shum KK, Chan WWL, et al. Effectiveness and mechanisms of mindfulness training for school teachers in difficult times: a randomized controlled trial. Mindfulness 2021;12:2820-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01750-1

Neff KD. The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self Identity 2003;2:223-50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027

Corthorn C, Pedrero V, Torres N, et al. Mindfulness, teacher mental health, and well-being in early education: a correlational study. BMC Psychol 2024;12:428. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01930-3

Jennings PA. Early childhood teachers’ well-being, mindfulness, and self-compassion in relation to classroom quality and attitudes towards challenging students. Mindfulness 2015;6:732-43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0312-4

Alemi M, Khanlarzadeh N, Tajeddin Z. Early career language teachers’ motivation in the making: An ecological perspective on their motivational resources. System 2025;132:103685. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103685

Khanjani S, Foroughi AA, Bazani M, et al. Psychometric properties of Persian version of five facets of mindfulness questionnaire. J Res Med Sci 2022;27:29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/jrms.JRMS_10_20

Oliveira PD, Rufini SÉ, Bzuneck JA. Teacher’s motivation for teaching: questionnaire validity evidence. Estud Psicol 2023;40:e210084. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-0275202340e210084

Rostami Z, Abedi MR, Schaufeli WB, et al. The psychometric characteristics of Maslach burnout inventory student survey: a study among students of Isfahan University. Zahedan J Res Med Sci 2014;16:55-8.

Nurshadrina A, Septiana E, Widyasari P. Mindfulness in teaching and teacher engagement: the mediating role of teacher resilience. Psychol Res Urban Soc 2025;8:22-34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7454/proust.v8i1.1172

Fedewa AL, Ahn S, Aspiranti KB. Mindfulness in elementary school teachers: effects on teacher stress, mental health, and mindfulness in the classroom. Int J Sch Health 2022;9:73-82.

Kuru Gönen Sİ. Mindfulness-based practices for EFL teachers: sample tasks and insights to cultivate mindfulness. Focus on ELT Journal 2022;4:78-96. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14744/felt.2022.4.3.6

Khoshgoftar Z, Mousavizadeh SN, Asadi-Samani H, Hakimzadeh A. Design, implementation and evaluation of a training workshop on mindfulness in clinical encounters for nursing students of the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. J Med Edu Dev 2024;18:627-39.

Wang N. The relationship between teacher mindfulness and creative teaching of college English foreign language teachers: a multiple mediating model. System 2024;123:103345. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103345

Meiklejohn J, Phillips C, Freedman ML, et al. Integrating mindfulness training into K-12 education: fostering the resilience of teachers and students. Mindfulness 2012;3:291-307. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-012-0094-5

Alharbi BAA, McKenna N. A systematic review of mindfulness-based interventions to reduce ICU nurse burnout: global evidence and thematic synthesis. BMC Nurs 2025;24:927. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03507-w

Atadokht A, Mohammadi I, Basharpoor S. A study of academic procrastination based on demographic variables and its relationship with achievement motivation and academic performance of high school students. J School Psychol 2015;4:55-68.

Bowden A, Norton K, Griffith GM. Do trainee mindfulness teachers practice what they teach? Motivation, challenges, and learning gaps. Mindfulness 2021;12:970-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01565-6

Lavy S, Berkovich-Ohana A. From teachers’ mindfulness to students’ thriving: the mindful self in school relationships (MSSR) Model. Mindfulness 2020;11:2258-2273. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01418-2

Baker RL, Karadjova-Kozhuharova K. Mindfulness approaches for addressing burnout in higher education settings: a systematic literature review. In: 16th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies (EDULEARN24); 1-3 July 2024; Palma, Spain. EDULEARN24 Proceedings; 2024. pp. 4327-33. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2024.1082 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2024.1082

Roeser RW, Skinner E, Beers J, Jennings PA. Mindfulness training and teachers’ professional development: An emerging area of research and practice. Child Dev Perspect 2012;6:167-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00238.x

Peters D, Rajasingam D. Burnout in healthcare: medical educators’ role. BMJ 2019;366:I5570. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l5570

Jennett HK, Harris SL, Mesibov GB. Commitment to philosophy, teacher efficacy, and burnout among teachers of children with autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2003;33:583-93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JADD.0000005996.19417.57

Burisch M. A longitudinal study of burnout: the relative importance of dispositions and experiences. Work Stress 2002;16:1-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02678370110112506

Kabat-Zinn J. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Constructivism in the Human Sciences 2003;8:73-83.

Karadjova-Kozhuharova KG, Bareford L, Tsenov MY. Addressing burnout among university faculty with mindfulness practices and activities: preliminary study. In: 11th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd’25); 2025 Jun 17-20; Valencia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd25.2025.20008

Hülsheger UR, Alberts HJ, Feinholdt A, Lang JW. Benefits of mindfulness at work: the role of mindfulness in emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. J Appl Psychol 2013;98:310-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031313

Shoker D, Desmet L, Ledoux N, Héron A. Effects of standardized mindfulness programs on burnout: a systematic review and original analysis from randomized controlled trials. Front Public Health 2024;12:1381373. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1381373