YOGA AS A MEDIUM OF MORAL EDUCATION FOR TEACHER-TRAINEES

Teachers are not only the disseminator of knowledge but are the potential architect of society who provide direction to the worthy citizens therefore, in order to facilitate moral development of personality and attitudes of students for healthy and peaceful living teacher-education programmes should focus on composite development of personality of teachers who are infused with a sense of compassion, love and affection, moral integrity and righteousness, dedication, self-reliance, discipline, punctuality, dutifulness and strong character. Guideline for NCFTE document 2010, identified need for developing professional and humane qualities in student-teachers and an inherent idea of integrating Yoga education for personality development of pupil-teachers through teacher education programmes, guided policy makers in significant manner which is reflected in NCTE regulations, 2014 in form of creating new faculty position for providing Physical and Yoga education. A proper understanding of teachings and practice of Yoga will lead to the moral and character development among student-teachers. The present paper aimed to know the perceptions of prospective teachers on the need, significance and challenges of moral education in present day teachereducation programmes and implications of Yoga education for the moral development of teachertrainees. The data were collected purposively through focus group discussion among a mixed group of fifty participants including teacher-trainees at B.Ed. level, prospective teacher educators at M.Ed. level and pre-Ph.D. scholars in education from Faculty of Education, Kumaun University, SSJ Campus, Almora. A qualitative analysis of the data revealed that Yoga education helps in integrating moral values and physical well-being besides promoting emotional stability, mental hygiene and high level of consciousness, overall personality development and academic growth among teachertrainees. Participatory and self-learning approaches were suggested as significant practicum activities.