An Exploration of Experiences of Ontario Teachers with Animals and Their Perception of Animals in the Classroom
Abstract
Educators in Ontario have been challenged to support student achievement in academia, sustainability, social justice, and experiential learning. There is a need for tools which accomplish this learning simultaneously. This qualitative research explores the opinions and experiences of teachers with respect to student interactions with animals as a means of accomplishing learning in these areas. Semi-structured interviews with seven teachers were qualitatively analyzed through the framework of humane education and animal-assisted education. The teachers answered questions that explored their knowledge of animals, humane education, and animal-assisted education; their perception of animals in the enactment of pedagogy; their experiences with animals that inform their perceptions; and barriers and enablers to the involvement of animals in their classrooms. The conclusions drawn from this study follow previous research by finding that animal interactions may be beneficial for student learning. A new term, animal-enriched pedagogy, is proposed to guide future research and educative practice.