ERIC Number: EJ1456295
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0256-8543
EISSN: EISSN-2150-2641
Children's Perceptions of a Therapy Dog-Assisted Social and Emotional Learning Intervention: Survey and Interview Findings
Journal of Research in Childhood Education, v39 n1 p22-41 2025
Therapy dogs can improve the social and mental health outcomes for children and adolescents. School-based interventions that address social and emotional learning (SEL) can promote children's overall wellbeing and educational outcomes. This study used a qualitative approach to explore children's perceptions of a 12-week therapy dog-assisted SEL intervention in a mainstream primary school in Australia. Open-ended survey questions were completed by 85 Year 5 students and five of these students engaged in a follow-up interview. A thematic analysis identified three main themes: 1) empowerment through emotional learning, 2) positive relationships with peers and family, and 3) personal growth. Empowerment through emotional learning included the subthemes of experiencing, understanding, regulating, and expressing emotions. Positive relationships included the subtheme of communication. Both the SEL components of the program and the integration of a therapy dog appear to have contributed to a perceived positive impact on children's wellbeing overall. This study contributes to the evidence of how therapy dogs can impact school environments and provides a structure for how a therapy dog can support student wellbeing.
Descriptors: Animals, Therapy, Social Emotional Learning, Intervention, Outcomes of Education, Well Being, Elementary School Students, Student Attitudes, Grade 4, Foreign Countries, Student Empowerment, Advantaged, Private Schools, Peer Relationship, Family Relationship, Positive Attitudes, Individual Development
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A