Role of Moral Intelligence and Mindfulness in Predicting the Sense of Belonging to School: A Case of Secondary School Students of Karaj, Iran

Introduction and purpose: The feeling of belonging to the school as an important requirement for the excellent performance of students in learning environments is influenced by several factors. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of moral intelligence and mindfulness in predicting the sense of belonging to school. Methods: The present research followed the descriptive approach. The research population comprised all male and female students enrolled in first and second secondary schools within the Karaj district of Iran during the academic year 2023-2024. A sample of 120 individuals was selected using a convenience sampling method. Subsequently, participants completed questionnaires assessing moral intelligence, as developed by Lennik and Kiel (2005), mindfulness, as conceptualized by Chadwick et al. (2008), and the sense of belonging to the school, as articulated by Brew and Beatty (2004). Data analysis was performed using Pearson's correlation test and multiple regression using the SPSS (version 22) software. Results: The results indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between moral intelligence (r=0.702) and mindfulness (r=0.622) with the sense of belonging to the school (P<0.01). Furthermore, the components of moral intelligence account for 48.3% of the variance in the sense of belonging to school, while the components of mindfulness explain 37.2% of this variance. Conclusion: According to the results of moral intelligence and mindfulness, they effectively improve students' sense of belonging to school; therefore, training of moral intelligence and mindfulness should be considered part of school intervention programs.