Investigation of the effect of yoga awareness program on emotion regulation skills of 60-72 months-old children and views of their mothers

This research, aimed to examine the effect of the Yoga Awareness Program on the emotion regulation skills of 60-72 months old children and the views of their mothers. The research participants were mothers and teachers of 60-72 months old children attending independent kindergartens affiliated to the Bingöl Provincial Directorate of National Education. The research was carried out with the convergent parallel mixed method model, which consists of the quantitative and qualitative research methods. "General Information Form", "Children's Emotion Management Scale (CEMS-Parent Form)", Emotion Regulation Scale (ER) and "Semi-Structured Interview Form" were used in the study. The independent variable of the study was "Yoga Awareness Program" and the dependent variables were "children's emotion regulation skill levels and mothers' and teachers' views about the program". In the semi-experimental dimension of the research, pretest-posttest-percistance test, experimental design with control group was used, and in the qualitative dimension interviews were used. The Yoga Awareness Program was applied to the experimental group for 20-34 minutes, two days a week for ten weeks. The obtained data were evaluated using appropriate statistical methods. As a result of the research, a significant difference was found in the pre-test and post-test scores of the children in the experimental and control groups, according to evaluation of their mothers. Research results indicates, while the children in the experimental group had a significant difference in all sub-dimensions of the parent scores of the Emotion Management for Children (CEMS-Parent Form) Anger Sub-Scale; It was determined that the Anxiety Sub-Scale had a significant difference in the irregularity and coping sub-dimensions, but did not have a significant difference in the irregularity sub-dimension. Finally, it was found that while the Sadness Sub-Scale had a significant positive effect on the coping sub-dimension, it did not have a significant effect on the frustration and irregularity sub-dimensions. There was no significant difference found in teacher evaluations of the experimental and control group in behavioral orientation and emotion regulation sub-dimensions in the Emotion Regulation Scale (ER) of the yoga awareness program. Interviews held with the teachers and mothers in the experimental group after the program, teachers and mothers stated that their children experienced a change after the program, especially their emotions of anger decreased, they were willing to do yoga with the individuals around them, they were more willing to express their emotions, but the duration of program period being limited expressed as a negative opinion. Based on the research results, it has been suggested that yoga can be included in education programs as an alternative form of practice in the development of emotion regulation skills of children, that it can be studied at an early age and with all age groups, and that more comprehensive programs should be developed.