Psychometric Properties of the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale in a Sample of Iranian Teachers: Insight from a Network Analysis Approach

Objectives The Mindfulness in Teaching Scale was developed to assess intrapersonal and interpersonal mindfulness in elementary school teachers, both being key attributes for successful teaching. While the scale has been widely validated, it has not yet been validated with Iranian teachers. The present study sought to translate and validate the Mindfulness in Teaching Scale for Iranian Teachers (MTS-IT). Methods A total of 890 Iranian teachers, selected through random sampling, participated in this cross-sectional study. The construct validity of the MTS-IT was evaluated using exploratory analysis and confirmatory factor analyses. The reliability was examined, including internal consistency and stability for MTS-IT, convergent and discriminant validity, measurement invariance across gender, teaching years, and education level taught, and measurement stability. Finally, Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA) was used to estimate the dimensional structure of the MTS-IT. Results Construct validity and network analysis confirmed the 2-factor structure of MTS-IT among Iranian teachers. This model remained invariant across gender, teaching years, and education levels taught. The reliability and convergent and discriminant validity values were good in both dimensions. MTS-IT subscales showed positive correlations with scores on mindfulness inclination, positive emotions, and self-compassion scales while demonstrating negative correlations with job burnout, negative emotions, and feelings of loneliness (p < 0.001). Conclusion The validated MTS-IT provides a valuable instrument for teacher training programs and interventions aimed at enhancing mindfulness among Iranian teachers. Teacher training programs can use the MTS-IT to identify teachers who may benefit from additional mindfulness support, allowing for the design of targeted interventions to improve intrapersonal and interpersonal mindfulness.