Riki Verhoeven | Utrecht University of Applied Sciences (original) (raw)

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Papers by Riki Verhoeven

Global journal of ecology, Jun 21, 2024

Introduction: Research regarding Animal-Assisted Education (AAE) is a relatively new fi eld. Due ... more Introduction: Research regarding Animal-Assisted Education (AAE) is a relatively new fi eld. Due to the growing number of programs in the fi eld, investigating AAE interventions is important. The aim of this study was to gain insight into teachers' and parents'/caregivers' perceptions of the impacts of a specifi c form of Animal-Assisted Service (AAS, formerly Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) namely, an Animal-Assisted Education (AAE) program for primary school students, as offered in the Netherlands. Materials and methods: This study was designed as an exploratory qualitative study, executed by means of interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Twelve teachers and ten parents/caregivers were interviewed. The analysis started with open coding and was followed by axial and selective coding. Results: There is signifi cant agreement regarding the positive infl uence of AAE on the perception of teachers and parents. Both notice an impact beyond the context of the AAE sessions in the areas of communication, social-emotional development, self-confi dence, and environmental factors. Teachers also note that the AAE project has provided them with insights that infl uence their professional development. Conclusion: It can be cautiously stated that 10 sessions, according to the DOG project, had a positive impact on the social-emotional development of elementary school students according to their parents and teachers. Further research on what AAE means for students is recommended. Considering the unforeseen and impactful outcome of this playful interaction initiative on teachers, it is advised to conduct subsequent research to further explore the underlying mechanisms, aiming to enhance the professional development of teachers.

Animal-Assisted Education: Exploratory Research on the Positive Impact of Dogs on Behavioral and Emotional Outcomes of Elementary School Students, 2023

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Children

For some students, school success is not a simple matter. A growing, innovative approach that sup... more For some students, school success is not a simple matter. A growing, innovative approach that supports students’ functioning at school is programs in which animals are involved in education. The involvement of animals, especially dogs, in education is known as animal-assisted education (AAE). A literature review of AAE indicated a positive influence of AAE programs on the quality of learning and social emotional development in children. This study explored whether AAE positively impacts the social and emotional outcomes of elementary school students aged between 8 and 13 years through mixed methods. The methods used were a survey and an observational study. The survey section of the study showed that students participating in the program with the dogs rated themselves, after the intervention period, significantly higher in terms of self-confidence and had a more positive score for relationships with other students after the intervention. As rated by their teachers, after the interve...

Orthopedagogiek, May 1, 2020