Animal-assisted intervention as a support for students’ social-emotional learning in the classroom

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Issue Date
2022
Authors
Neetz, Vanessa
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Abstract
The use of animal-assisted intervention (AAI) is a burgeoning approach being used in education to support students’ social-emotional learning (SEL). The correlation between SEL, academic success, and preparing students to be well-rounded individuals’ post-graduation is critically relevant. For educators to guide this process, a variety of methods can be employed. Given the benefits identified in literature of AAI, it is a promising approach that educators can adopt in their personal practice. However, research indicates that while teachers are willing to implement AAI, they require further direction on where to find information, how to access it, and the process required to employ this strategy. To augment the utilization of AAI for SEL in the classroom, the focus of my paper and project (website) asserts the positive effects of AAI for mental health, emotional health, and social inclusion with links to previous research-based studies. Additional resources are available, including steps to take, explicit examples of implementation and an opportunity to collaborate with me. By creating an informal professional development tool, educators have autonomy in accessing the information.
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