Abstract

This study examined the relationship between prospective teachers' mindfulness and their goal-setting proficiency. A correlation research method was used. Through a multi-stage random sampling process, a sample of 500 prospective teachers who were pursuing a BS in Education was chosen for data collection. 372 prospective teachers returned their questionnaires. Cronbach's Alpha value measured the reliability, and expert opinion was used to establish the validity of two instruments that were developed by the researcher. After collecting the data, analysis was applied that indicated a positive, moderate, and significant relationship between mindfulness and prospective teachers' goal-setting proficiency, which means prospective teachers, who believed they were mindful, showed an inclination towards having goal-setting proficiency as well. Qualitative, as well as quantitative research must be conducted to increase knowledge and fill the gaps in the literature about the potential of mindfulness and goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers.

Key Words

Mindfulness, Goal Setting Proficiency, Prospective Teachers

Introduction

Teaching has become an uncertain and emotionally challenging job due to the competitive and dynamic atmosphere of educational institutions. Teachers must develop and maintain excellent performance to succeed in a dynamic, competitive atmosphere with uncertainty and emotions. Teachers need to have stronger mental and emotional control in order to deal with uncertainties and emotions, and they need to design clear, inspirational goals in order to maintain their exceptional performance. The ability to regulate one's emotions and feelings as well as create inspirational but defined goals helps instructors be more competitive and meet the demands of their work.

There have been searches for solutions to the questions of what skills people need to flourish in the twenty-first century and what professional competencies educators should have to impart these skills to their students (Holbert, 2015). According to Darling-Hammond et al. (2005), the subject of teacher training programs has gained attention. It is advised that instructors in teacher preparation programs consider how to better prepare themselves for the educational and training process as well as how to impart both practical and theoretical knowledge to students. As student-teacher, candidates continuously go through the theoretical procedure; on the one hand, they learn how to instruct, and on the other, they apply their prior teaching experiences as part of their training courses. 

In recent years, there has been a rise in research into the characteristics of successful teachers, particularly how well they succeed in delivering high-quality instruction that enhances student learning (Kennedy, Ahn, & Choi, 2008; Zumwalt & Craig, 2005). These discussions usually centre on flaws such as overall cognitive capacities or personality characteristics (e.g., Wayne & Youngs, 2003; Yeh, 2009; Zumwalt & Craig, 2005). This shows that giving these individuals jobs can help them advance professionally if they demonstrate these attributes to a high degree (Kunter et al., 2013). The majority of research has only explored teachers' knowledge, dismissing the possibility that other factors may be equally as important in predicting success in the teaching profession (Goodman et al., 2008). Keeping in view the previous studies, the ability of prospective teachers' mindfulness and goal-setting proficiency were considered vital to the improvement of both their own performance and that of the organization.

Literature Review

An integral part of a teacher education program is the practicum or teaching practice. It ought to serve as the basis for professional education (Gujjar, Naoreen, Saifi & Bajwa, 2010). Deeply embedded in the aspiration to impart knowledge and train competent, quality instructors, the concept of teaching practice should be viewed as the core component of teacher education courses and given precedence in the timetable. The idea of student teaching has typically been thought of as the bridge between theory and practice. This bridge empowers future educators to employ the knowledge and abilities they have acquired at the tertiary level of study in practical classroom settings (Bell & Robinson, 2004). Future educators who practice mindfulness and establish goals for their careers can prosper in a competitive environment. Mindful and goal-oriented individuals are more likely to be competitive as well as successful. 




Mindfulness

Several professional stressors, including high student enrollment, a lack of curriculum materials, constrained planning time, high stakes testing, student behavioural issues, and the threat of teacher evaluations have an impact on teachers' perceptions of themselves in the classroom and as members of their school community (Flook et al., 2013). Mindfulness has become a method to successfully handle these stresses by cultivating habits of mind that result in better physical and mental health in teachers, supportive relations with students, and an atmosphere that supports collaboration and teamwork among instructors (Roeser et al., 2012). In order to be mindful, we must pay great attention to what we are experiencing at present and accept it without judgment. The goal of mindfulness is to develop a clear and open receptivity to our lived experience rather than dismissing or rejecting unpleasant thoughts, feelings, or sensations (Bishop et al., 2004). Although this study was used to refer to a state or quality of mind, the term "mindfulness" can also refer to a specific type of meditation that helps people develop this characteristic (Lomas et al., 2017). Teachers' enhanced adaptability, awareness, and capacity to actively meet the needs of their students facilitate effective classroom management (Marzano et al., 2003). The definitions of mindfulness all share the following four components: 1) the ability to control attention, 2) the ability to concentrate on the present or current experience, 3) awareness of experience, and 4) a nonjudgmental attitude toward experience (Bishop et al., 2004). Aspects of prospective teachers' mindfulness that have been derived based on these characteristics of mindfulness are i) Attention: Future teachers’ ability to control their attention in order to achieve their goal of learning to teach. ii) Present Focus: Future teachers' ability to concentrate on the present without considering the past or future thoughts. iii) Awareness: It considers all of the experiences that future teachers might have while completing their teacher training. iv) Acceptance: future teachers’ ability to accept anything they must go through during the process of learning to teach, whether good or bad. According to Killion (2019), in order to deliver essential theoretical and behavioural education and fulfil their responsibility of creating an educated and high-performing society, teachers must maintain good emotional control, solve problems quickly, think creatively, and pay attention throughout the school year.




Goal Setting Proficiency

Good educators always are driven to develop their professional careers (Edannur, 2010). Similarly, prospective teachers also set goals and identify areas for improvement in order to advance their careers and become more effective instructors. According to Strick and Papies (2017), people make decisions regarding their employment, education, families, income, and lifestyles throughout their lives. If people want to be happy with their choice, they must select the options that best fit their goals and talents. Camp (2017) stated that there are good reasons to pay attention to teachers' goals because research at the primary and secondary levels of education has demonstrated that these goals have an impact on both teachers' professional development and teaching effectiveness. Therefore it is considered that future teachers also set goals for their professional development and make decisions that best support those aims.

According to goal-setting theory, task performance is positively correlated with specific goals. Therefore, it is suggested that setting high goals results in even higher performance than simply encouraging people to do their best work (Locke & Latham, 2007). According to goal-setting theory, realistic, challenging, and detailed goals usually lead to higher levels of motivation because they improve attention spans, boost energy levels, and promote perseverance. The formulation of specific task strategies to accomplish them is also influenced by these goals. Feedback informs you of how well you are doing in regard to your goals, allowing you to change and adapt your goal-achieving method (Hoy & Miskel, 2005). To sum up, prospective teachers become more focused, persistent, and willing to work hard to achieve their goals when they set clear, difficult goals that encompass enhancing their academic, professional, and personal competency. Development of task strategies and getting feedback on how well they are doing help prospective teachers in achieving their goals.




Model Of Prospective Teachers’ Competencies

Every performance might have particular objectives for teachers to work toward growing competencies, and their performance is evaluated on developing these competencies (Lauermann & Konig, 2016). According to Bhargava and Pathy (2011), teaching relies on a clear and organized set of competencies of professionals who perform their duties in their respective sectors and early teacher preparation programs should put a strong emphasis on establishing these competencies in order to strengthen the educational sector. It is obvious from definitions from different areas that competence contains all the necessary abilities, information, attitudes, and motivational forces that serve as the cornerstone for a variety of specific situations (Epstein & Hundert, 2002; Klieme, Hartig, & Rauch, 2008) and these skills can be learned and so taught because they are not inborn (Kunter et al., 2013). 

According to Alqiawi and Ezzeldi (2015), the model of strong teachers' competencies consists of three main dimensions: academic, professional, and personal. This model can be useful in evaluating general teacher preparation programs as well as the summative evaluation of prospective teachers who have graduated from teacher education programs. Keeping in view the model, it could be said that the goals of prospective teachers must include improvement of academic, professional, and personal competencies because their performance is assessed on developing these competencies. A detailed description of the model is as follows: i) Academic competence: Assessing students' cognitive, holistic, intellectual, and knowing abilities, is the basic goal of all academic competence studies (Ilanlou & Zand, 2011; Hong et al., 2008, Huntly, 2003). Understanding the core concepts, skills, and knowledge in the teacher's field of specialization, as well as the research procedures employed in that field, constitutes academic competency. The specialized competence expected of instructors is thought to include academic proficiency as one of its components. It includes both the teacher's subject-matter knowledge and cognitive and understanding instructional skills (Llanlou and Zand, 2011). Furthermore, the concepts of research competence and lifelong learning are viewed as essential elements of teachers' academic competence (Benedek & Molnar, 2012; Selvi, 2010). ii) Professional competence includes planning strategies, instructional approaches, and execution tactics. Adult education includes using teaching and learning theories in different learning environments while enhancing students' motivation to learn, encouraging them to work harder, and utilizing a variety of learning aids based on students' social and psychological needs. Professional competence is the term used to describe the actual teaching strategies utilized in the classroom. It involves classroom organization, knowing how to incorporate technology into education, developing the curriculum to put it into practice, and guiding students' learning in accordance with the course's learning objectives (Alqiawi & Ezzeldi, 2015). Professional competency includes instructors' knowledge, abilities, beliefs, and motivation (Lauermann & Konig 2016). Kunter et al. (2013) presented a multidimensional model of teachers' professional competence that includes cognitive factors (like professional knowledge), learning-related beliefs, factors related to motivation and self-regulation, and other factors that are supposed to be the cornerstones of effective teaching in their article where they argued that the conception of teacher quality must take into consideration the individual processes that impact the mastery of teaching. iii) Personal competence: A teacher's personal qualities, such as physical health, general intellect, ethical behaviour, language skills, ability to discover, administrative skills, decision-making skills, and capacity to interact appropriately with parents and other decision-makers, are referred to as personal competence. Understanding the students, the school, the family, social interactions, knowledge, and developing better relationships with students and members of the learning community are just a few of the special, distinctive personal competency traits that are essential to teachers’ success. The same goes for treating each student with respect, showing them that you care about them, and responding to their needs in the most effective possible way. Additionally, it involves learning how to apply their knowledge to the development and evolution of their students, serving as ethical and honest role models (Alqiawi & Ezzeldi, 2015). Language proficiency, emotional intelligence, managerial skills, and personality all are part of personal competency (Bakhru, 2017). This strategy made it clear that future teachers need the same competencies for their professional growth during the course of their teacher training.

Research Objectives

Previous research led to the conclusion that future teachers' ability to practice mindfulness and set goals weren't thoroughly investigated. This study was conducted in the context of teacher education in Pakistan in order to explore the relationship between prospective teachers' mindfulness and goal-setting proficiency. Following were the objectives of the current study:

i) To explore the relationship between mindfulness and goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers.

ii) To explore the relationship among sub-constructs of mindfulness and goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers.




Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were made to address the main objectives of the study:

Ho1: Mindfulness is positively and significantly correlated with the goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers.

Ho2: Sub-constructs of mindfulness are positively and significantly correlated with sub-constructs of goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers.

Research Methodology

This study examined the relationship between the prospective teachers' mindfulness and their ability to set goals. The primary goals of the study were addressed through the development of research hypotheses. Using a correlation research method relationship between mindfulness and goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers was investigated. Two questionnaires that were related to the study's key constructs were made by the researcher (mindfulness scale that was developed by Greg Feldman, Hayes, Kumar, Greeson and Laurenceau was adapted for the purpose of assessing the beliefs of prospective teachers and the goal-setting proficiency scale was developed by researcher with the help of previous studies in the literature. A sample of 500 prospective teachers who were pursuing a BS in Education was selected through a multi-stage random selection procedure for the purpose of gathering data. 372 of the 500 prospective teachers filled out the survey questionnaire. The table below shows the reliability of the instruments as determined by Cronbach's Alpha, and the validity of the instruments was established by the judgment of professionals in the field of education.




 

Table 1. Reliability of Mindfulness Scale of Prospective Teachers

Sub-constructs of Mindfulness	Number of Items	Cronbach’s  Alpha Value
Attention	4	0.82
Awareness	4	0.77
Present Focus	4	0.75
Acceptance	4	0.80
Complete Scale of Mindfulness	16	0.87

 




Results showed that the reliability of the complete scale of mindfulness of prospective teachers was 0.87, which was in an acceptable range of Cronbach's alpha value with sixteen numbers of items, while the reliability of attention was confirmed at 0.82, awareness at 0.77, the present focus at 0.75 and acceptance at 0.80.




 

Table 2. Reliability of Goal-setting Proficiency Scale of Prospective Teachers

Sub-constructs of Mindfulness	Number of Items	Cronbach’s  Alpha Value
Characteristics of Goals	4	0.85
Goal Mechanism	4	0.80
Feedback about Performance	4	0.75
Complete Scale of Goal-setting Proficiency	12	0.85

 




Results indicated that the reliability of the entire scale of prospective teachers' mindfulness was 0.87, falling within the acceptable range of Cronbach's alpha value with sixteen items. The reliability of attention, awareness, present focus and acceptance were all confirmed at 0.82, 0.77, 0.75, and 0.80, respectively.




 

Table 3. Demographic Information of Prospective Teachers

Factors		f	%
Age	18-20	165	44.4
	21-23	207	55.6
Sector	Public	169	45.4
	Private	203	54.6

 




Data on the demographics of prospective teachers are presented in Table 3. The sample included 372 prospective teachers, of which 44.4 % (165) and 55.6 % (207) were between the ages of 18 and 20 and 21 and 23, respectively. Out of 372 prospective teachers,

45.4% (169) attended public institutions and

 54.6% (203) attended private universities.

Findings

Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs About Mindfulness




 

Table 4. Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs about Paying Attention during the Course of Learning to Teach

Items	Mean	SD
During the course of learning to teach, I pay attention on:
Improving my teaching competencies.	2.92	1.14
Increasing my academic competence.	2.86	1.12
Developing my professional competence.	2.95	1.17
Boosting my personal competence.	2.83	1.11
Total	2.88	0.88

 

Table 4 indicated that prospective teachers paid attention to improving their teaching competencies with (M=2.92: SD= 1.14), academic competence with (M=2.86: SD= 1.12), professional competence with (M=2.95: SD= 1.17), and personal competence with (M=2.83: SD= 1.11) during the course of learning to teach.

 

Table 5. Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs about Focus during the Course of Learning to Teach

Items	Mean	SD
During the course of learning to teach, I focus on:
Keeping track of my thoughts in the present.	2.98	1.11
Future thoughts about the teaching profession.	2.85	1.12
Past experiences in teaching.	2.94	1.05
Present experiences of learning to teach.	2.92	1.09
Total	2.92	0.83

 




Table 5 indicated that prospective teachers focused on keeping track of their thoughts into the present with (M=2.98: SD= 1.11), future thoughts about the teaching profession with (M=2.85: SD= 1.12), past experiences in teaching with (M=2.94: SD= 1.05), and present experiences of learning to teach with (M=2.92: SD= 1.09) during the course of learning to teach.




 

Table 6. Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs about Awareness during the Course of Learning to Teach

Items	Mean	SD
During the course of learning to teach:
I notice my feelings and thoughts about the courses I study.	2.97	1.12
I understand my feelings and thoughts about teacher trainers.	2.94	1.11
I explain my feelings and thoughts about teaching practice.	3.17	1.10
I control my feelings and thoughts without any judgment.	2.92	1.11
Total	2.99	0.81

 




Table 6 indicated that prospective teachers noticed their feelings and thoughts about courses they studied with (M=2.97: SD= 1.12), understood their feelings and thoughts about teacher trainers with (M=2.94: SD= 1.11), explained their feelings and thoughts about teaching practice with (M=3.17: SD= 1.10), and controlled their feelings and thoughts without any judgment with (M=2.92: SD= 1.11) during the course of learning to teach.




 

Table 7. Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs about Acceptance during the Course of Learning to Teach

Items	Mean	SD
During the course of learning to teach:
I make space for tension that arises during the process of teacher training.	3.08	1.13
I make space for unwanted feelings that develop during the process of teacher training.	3.03	1.11
I accept things related to teaching that I believe I cannot change.	3.06	1.14
I accept thoughts and feelings that I have related to teaching.	3.08	1.13
Total	3.06	0.83

 




Table 7 indicated that prospective teachers gave space for tension that arises during the process of teacher training with (M=3.08: SD= 1.13), made space for unwanted feelings that develop during the process of teacher training with (M=3.03: SD= 1.13), accepted things related with teaching that they believed they

could not change with (M=3.06: SD= 1.14), and accepted thoughts and feelings that they had related with teaching with (M=3.08: SD= 1.13) during the course of learning to teach.

 

Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs About Goal-Setting Proficiency




 

Table 8. Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs about Characteristics of Goals

Items	Mean	SD
To increase my academic, professional and personal competence:
I set specific learning goals.	3.66	0.96
I set challenging goals.	3.72	0.89
I set attainable goals.	3.34	1.02
Once I set goals, I commit to them until their attainment.	3.70	0.97
Total	3.60	0.79

 




Table 8 indicated that prospective teachers set specific learning goals with (M=3.66: SD= 0.96), set challenging goals with (M=3.72: SD= 0.89), set attainable goals with (M=3.34: SD= 1.02), and once they set goals, they commit to them until their attainment with (M=3.70: SD= 0.97) during the course of learning to teach.




 

Table 9. Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs about Goal Mechanism that Helps to

Items	Mean	SD
Goal setting helps me to:
Focus on my attention towards increasing my academic competence.	3.57	1.03
Mobilize my efforts towards increasing my professional competence.	3.67	0.89
Be persistent in increasing my personal competence.	3.51	1.04
Develop specific strategies to increase my academic, professional and personal competence.	3.68	1.00
Total	3.60	0.77




Table 9 indicated that the goal mechanism helped prospective teachers to focus their attention on increasing their academic competence with (M=3.57: SD= 1.03), mobilize their efforts towards increasing their professional competence with (M=3.67: SD= 0.89), be persistent towards increasing their personal competence with (M=3.51: SD= 1.04), and develop specific strategies to increase their academic, professional and personal competence with (M=3.68: SD= 1.00) during the course of learning to teach.




 

Table 10. Prospective Teachers’ Beliefs about Feedback about Performance

Items	Mean	SD
Feedback about my academic, professional and personal competence:
Helps me in evaluating my progress.	3.58	1.03
Positively affects my performance.	3.75	0.86
Helps me in modifying goal mechanisms.	3.70	0.98
Develops confidence in me.	3.51	0.99
Total	3.63	0.71

           




Table 10 indicated that feedback helped prospective teachers in evaluating their progress with (M=3.58: SD= 1.03), positively affected their performance with (M=3.75: SD= 0.86), helped them in modifying goal mechanisms with (M=3.70: SD= 0.98), and developed confidence in them with (M=3.51: SD= 0.99) during the course of learning to teach.




 

Table 11. Relationship between Mindfulness and Goal-setting Proficiency of Prospective Teachers

Factors	Goal setting Proficiency
	r	p
Mindfulness	0.52	0.01

 




Table 11 indicates the relationship between mindfulness and goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers. Results revealed that the first hypothesis, "H_o1: mindfulness was significantly correlated with goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers," was accepted. This relationship was moderate and significant with (r= 0.52: p= 0.01).




 

Table 12. Relationship among Sub-constructs of Mindfulness and Goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers

Factors	Characteristics of Goals		Goal Mechanism		Feedback about Performance
	r	p	r	p	r	p
Attention	0.44	0.00	0.33	0.00	0.41	0.00
Present Focus	0.59	0.00	0.62	0.00	0.51	0.00
Awareness	0.59	0.00	0.57	0.00	0.56	0.00
Acceptance	0.32	0.00	0.33	0.00	0.37	0.00

 




Table 12 indicates the relationship between the sub-constructs of mindfulness and the goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers. The findings showed that characteristics of goals (r= 0.44: p= 0.00), goals' mechanism (r= 0.33: p= 0.00), and feedback on performance (r= 0.41: p= 0.00) were all positively correlated with attention. All of these goal-setting competency sub-constructs appeared to have moderately and significantly correlated with attention.

Similarly characteristics of goals at (r= 0.59: p= 0.00), goal mechanism at (r= 0.62: p= 0.00), and feedback regarding performance at (r= 0.51: p= 0.00) were all positively correlated with present focus. Goal characteristics and performance feedback revealed a moderate and significant while goal mechanism indicated a strong association with present focus.

Likewise findings showed that characteristics of goals (r= 0.44: p= 0.00), goals' mechanism (r= 0.33: p= 0.00), and feedback on performance (r= 0.41: p= 0.00) were all positively correlated with awareness. All of these goal-setting competency sub-constructs appeared to have a moderate as well as a significant relationship with awareness.

Lastly characteristics of goals (r= 0.32; p= 0.00), goal mechanism (r= 0.33; p=0.00), and performance feedback (r= 0.37; p= 0.00) were all positively correlated with acceptance. All of these goal-setting competency sub-constructs appeared to have a moderate as well as a significant relationship with acceptance.

Therefore, it could be said that aspiring teachers who believed they direct their attention towards their goal of learning to teach, lived in their present, were aware of their surroundings during the period of teacher education, and accepted whatever challenges they were facing, believed that they developed more precise and difficult goals and were devoted to them until their attainment and their goal-achieving mechanism from others about their performance helped them in achieving their goals.

Discussion

According to Kiken and Shook (2011), indeed, there is mounting evidence that mindfulness improves people's decision-making in a variety of spheres of life. The findings showed that mindfulness was positively, moderately, and significantly linked with prospective teachers' ability to develop goals. According to Gregoire et al. (2012), practising mindfulness may increase awareness of the importance of setting objectives that are more in line with an individual's self. The characteristics of the goals, goal mechanism, and feedback on performance were favourably, moderately, and significantly correlated with attention, present focus, awareness, and acceptance. Thus, it can be inferred from the findings that mindfulness may enhance the standard of decisions prospective teachers make across a range of life domains and may also raise awareness of goal-setting that is more in line with their individual selves.

It has been asserted that the growth of professional teachers will be influenced by mindfulness (Roeser et al., 2012, p. 167). Similarly, results indicated that practising mindfulness may be beneficial for prospective teachers as they need to develop themselves as professionals in their careers.

Negative beliefs cause people to distrust both themselves and others (Britzman & Dippo, 2000). Findings showed that during the teaching preparation process, prospective teachers paid close attention to keeping track of their thoughts in the present, their future thoughts about the teaching profession, their past teaching experiences, and their current teaching experiences. 

We are sowing the seeds of long-term success by teaching our children the coping skills and abilities for flourishing in a changing world, like mindfulness (Edwards, 2015). Findings demonstrated that prospective teachers became aware of their feelings and thoughts toward the courses they were taking, understood their feelings and thoughts toward teacher educators, expressed their feelings and thoughts regarding their actual teaching practice, and controlled their feelings and thoughts without passing judgment. Institutions are focusing on cultivating mindfulness among them to ensure their long-term success.

According to Edward (2005), we must not lose sight of the fact that a comprehensive education equips our kids with the knowledge and abilities they need to lead happy, fulfilling lives. The results found that prospective teachers' tensions arose during the teacher training process and unfavourable feelings that were raised during that process, as well as accepted things relating to the teaching they believed they could not change and accept thoughts and feelings about teaching that they had while learning to teach. Similar findings showed that prospective teachers could lead happy and fulfilling lives while developing their academic knowledge and teaching abilities.

Based on the information provided in their study by Seijts et al. (1998), they concluded that faculty members have the potential to take advantage of setting specific, challenging goals that they genuinely believe they can attain. The findings showed that prospective teachers commit to their goals until their attainment while they are learning how to teach. Similarly, prospective teachers also set clear, challenging goals that they genuinely believed they could achieve.

According to Louws et al. (2017), the learning objectives of teachers suggest a degree of goal-directedness in teachers' preferred learning. Even if some teachers may not have clearly stated learning objectives, it does not mean they do not constantly strive to improve themselves. The findings showed that goal mechanisms assist aspiring teachers in concentrating on improving their academic competence, mobilizing their efforts to improve their professional competence, persevering in improving their personal competence, and developing specific strategies to improve their academic, professional, and personal competence throughout the teaching-learning process. Likewise, the goal-setting mechanism helped future instructors in growing themselves by giving them direction.

Staff members require feedback on specific objectives from administrators, peers, and colleagues, as well as input from their own reflections, in order to evaluate their effectiveness as teachers (Seijts, et al., 1998). According to the findings, feedback assists aspiring teachers in assessing their progress, improves performance, aids in goal modification, and fosters confidence in them throughout the teaching-learning process. Similarly, feedback assisted new teachers in reflecting on their own teaching practice.

Conclusion

The study's main goal was to explore the relationship between prospective teachers' ability to set goals and their mindfulness. The results showed that prospective teachers' mindfulness was positively, moderately, and significantly correlated with their ability to develop goals. Based on the findings, it can be said that both variables have a significant impact on prospective teachers' personal, social, and professional lives. Findings demonstrated that prospective teachers who believed they were attentive established clear, difficult goals to develop their academic, professional, and personal competence. Therefore, professors must teach future educators how to work mindfully at their jobs, help them develop goals that will benefit them in their careers as teachers, and provide them with the skills necessary to compete in the teaching field and meet the expectations of the labour market.

Recommendations

Findings of the study suggest that work on mindfulness and goal-setting proficiency of prospective teachers was rarely done, and there is a need to conduct research on both variables of the study within the field of teacher education. From the findings, it is also recommended that to conduct studies on prospective teachers, help can be taken from works that have been done on mindfulness as well as goal setting proficiency, and questionnaires may also be developed on both variables for prospective teachers. Findings suggest that there is a need to conduct research on the types of goals that prospective teachers may develop for their professional development. For this purpose, qualitative studies may be helpful in which one can explore types of goals. Furthermore, causal-comparative studies may also be conducted to explore the effect of mindfulness on goal setting proficiency of prospective teachers. 

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