Design and Validation of a Philosophy-Based Mentalization Skills Training Package Enriched with Islamic Teachings for Children and Adolescents
Keywords:
Design and validation, educational package, mentalization, Islamic teachings, philosophyAbstract
This study aimed to design and validate a philosophy-based mentalization skills training package enriched with Islamic teachings for children and adolescents. This qualitative study was conducted using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method. The study population consisted of experts in mentalization, Islamic psychology, Islamic foundations of education, and philosophy for children and adolescents. Using purposive sampling, 12 experts were selected for the package-design phase, while five independent specialists participated in the validation phase. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed according to Colaizzi’s seven-step method. After the themes were extracted and the conceptual framework was developed, the training package was designed as 10 group sessions totaling 900 minutes. Its content validity was subsequently assessed through expert evaluation using the Content Validity Ratio and Content Validity Index. The qualitative analysis yielded 134 initial codes, 30 subthemes, and five main themes: “self-awareness and personal meaning in life,” “emotion regulation and self-care,” “mentalization in interpersonal relationships,” “ethical mentalization,” and “spiritual–social identity and future orientation.” Based on these themes, the training package was organized around philosophically stimulating stories, dialogue circles, mentalization exercises, Islamic ethical and spiritual teachings, and homework assignments. Expert evaluations indicated that all dimensions of the package, including the alignment of content with objectives, session structure and sequence, adequacy of allocated time, overall sufficiency, and general quality, demonstrated acceptable content validity. The mean Content Validity Ratio was 0.90, and the mean Content Validity Index was 0.95. The developed training package demonstrated satisfactory conceptual coherence and content validity and may be used as a culturally grounded, theory-based, and context-sensitive intervention for strengthening adolescents’ self-awareness, emotion regulation, interpersonal functioning, ethical and spiritual identity, and future orientation in school-based programs.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Zeinab AzimpoorArdakan (Author); Mohammad Hossein Fallah (Corresponding author); Marieh Dehghan Manshadi, Mansoor Dehghan Manshadi (Author)
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