Publication of Largest-Ever Study on Pets in the Classroom Indicates Positive Impact on Academic and Social Behavior
HABRI-Funded Study Shows Classroom Pets Help Improve Social and Cognitive Development in Children
The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), The Pet Care Trust, and American Humane’s Pets in the Classroom Study assessed the social, behavioral, and academic effects of the presence of small, resident classroom animals in 591 third and fourth-grade students across the United States. The study’s findings suggest that classroom pets may help improve academic performance and social skills in children.
“The utilization of classroom pets in third and fourth grade U.S. classrooms appears to hold significant benefits for children’s social, behavioral, and academic development,” said Amy McCullough, PhD, Principal Investigator and Senior Research Advisor, American Humane. “Findings show that the presence of pets in the classroom may increase social skills and competence for children in the third and fourth grades and, additionally, be effective in decreasing select problem behaviors in the classroom.”
Read more about this study…
https://petsintheclassroom.org/publication-of-largest-ever-study-on-pets-in-the-classroom/
AHA Study Shows Educational Value of Classroom Pets
Phase I of “Pets in the Classroom” study by American Humane Association and Pet Care Trust surveys nearly 1,200 North American teachers, reveals that teachers see classroom pets having real educational, leadership and character-building value.
Read more…
https://petsintheclassroom.org/aha-study-shows-educational-value-of-classroom-pets.
HABRI’s Child Health & Development Research
The Human-Animal Bond Research Institute outlines the research that demonstrations the positive influence of human-animal interaction (HAI), including pet ownership and animal-assisted therapy, on a child’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.
https://habri.org/research/child-health/
Animal-Assisted Intervention for Autism
OHAIRE lab’s compilation of studies on the unique interactions between people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and animals, including: Social Behaviors Increase in Children with Autism in the Presence of Animals Compared to Toys, and Effects of Classroom Animal-Assisted Activities on Social Functioning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
https://vet.purdue.edu/CAWS/publications.php
Human–Animal Interaction Research in School Settings: Current Knowledge and Future Directions
An overview of existing research that suggests that the inclusion of animals in classroom settings can have an indirect effect on learning by directly affecting motivation, engagement, self-regulation, and human social interaction through those activities in which the interaction with animals is embedded.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2332858417724346
Animal-Assisted Interventions in the Classroom—A Systematic Review
A systematic review of empirical research literature relating to animal-assisted interventions conducted in educational settings. The results show promising findings and emerging evidence suggestive of potential benefits related to animals in school settings.
