Mindfulness was positively associated with assessment fairness perceptions and negatively associated with grading bias tendencies among Ghanaian senior high school teachers, with mental health partially mediating the mindfulness-assessment fairness relationship.
Key Findings
Results
Mindfulness was positively associated with mental health, job satisfaction, and perceptions of assessment fairness among senior high school teachers in Ghana.
Sample of 1024 teachers from public and private institutions in Ghana recruited via stratified random sampling
Mindfulness measured using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)
Assessment fairness perceptions and grading bias tendencies were measured via psychometric tools administered through online surveys
Mindfulness was negatively correlated with psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, and grading bias tendencies
Results
Multiple regression analysis identified mindfulness, mental health, and job satisfaction as significant positive predictors of assessment fairness perceptions.
Mindfulness: β = 0.30, p < 0.001
Mental health: β = 0.22, p = 0.003
Job satisfaction: β = 0.25, p = 0.001
Mental health status was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (12 items; GHQ-12) and job satisfaction via the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS)
Results
Psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, and grading bias tendency were significant negative predictors of assessment fairness perceptions.
Psychological distress: β = -0.24, p = 0.001
Emotional exhaustion: β = -0.21, p = 0.002
Grading bias tendency: β = -0.27, p = 0.001
Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and emotional exhaustion via the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Emotional Exhaustion subscale (MBI-EE)
Results
Mindfulness moderated (buffered) the detrimental effect of psychological distress on assessment fairness perceptions.
Moderation analysis showed a statistically significant interaction effect: interaction β = 0.21, p = 0.003
The finding suggests that higher mindfulness attenuates the negative impact of psychological distress on teachers' fairness perceptions
Moderation analysis was conducted as part of a broader analytical framework also including mediation
Results
Mental health partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and assessment fairness perceptions.
Indirect effect β = 0.13, 95% CI [0.08, 0.21]
The partial mediation indicates that mindfulness fosters fairness perceptions partly, but not exclusively, through enhancing mental well-being
The confidence interval for the indirect effect did not include zero, supporting the significance of the mediation pathway
Methods
The study employed a correlational research design with stratified random sampling to investigate psychological predictors of grading fairness among Ghanaian teachers.
n = 1024 teachers from public and private senior high school institutions in Ghana
Stratified random sampling was used to ensure representation across key demographics
Data were collected via online surveys to enable wide geographical reach and participant anonymity
Six validated psychometric instruments were used: FFMQ, K10, GHQ-12, MBI-EE, JSS, and measures of grading bias and fairness perceptions
What This Means
This research suggests that the mental and emotional well-being of teachers plays an important role in how fairly they assess students. Studying over 1,000 senior high school teachers in Ghana, researchers found that teachers who practiced greater mindfulness — a form of deliberate, non-judgmental attention to the present moment — tended to report fairer assessment practices and fewer tendencies toward grading bias. Conversely, teachers experiencing higher levels of psychological distress, burnout-related emotional exhaustion, and mental health difficulties were more likely to report biased grading tendencies and less fair assessment practices.
The study also found that mindfulness appeared to protect teachers against the negative effects of psychological distress on their fairness in grading. Additionally, part of the reason mindful teachers reported fairer assessments was that mindfulness seemed to support better overall mental health, which in turn supported more equitable grading — a chain of effects the researchers call partial mediation. Job satisfaction was also independently linked to fairer assessment perceptions, while grading bias tendency was the single strongest negative predictor of fairness perceptions.
This research suggests that teacher well-being is not only a personal concern but may have direct consequences for students through the quality and fairness of the assessments teachers conduct. Interventions aimed at reducing teacher stress and burnout, or promoting mindfulness practices, could potentially improve the equity of student evaluation in school settings. The findings are based on self-reported survey data from Ghana, so caution is warranted in generalizing the results to other educational contexts.
Ntumi S. (2026). The Psychology of Fair Assessment: Mindfulness, Mental Health, and Grading Bias Among Senior High School Teachers in Ghana.. Brain and behavior. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.71779