Purpose: To examine the influence of monitor farm programmes on practice change using the Irish BETTER farm sheep programme as a case study. Methodology: A mixed methods approach combining 16 semi-structured and 69 structured interviews with benchmarking data analysis. Findings: Provision of intensive, tailored advice helped support practice…

Students in higher education face a multitude of life changes and challenges. In order to promote their mental health, the use of canine-assisted interventions (CAI) has gained increasing attention, yet one area that remains insufficiently studied is the influencing characteristics that may lead to the positive effects of CAIs. This study is a…

Burnout, often linked to increased stress, can impact student mental health, academic success, and overall well-being. To investigate animal-assisted interventions' (specifically a canine-assisted intervention; CAI) impact on student stress and burnout, a free CAI event was held on campus prior to final exams (n = 41). Self-selecting participants…

The goal of the research was to find out the effect of using living animal in teaching on remembering and understanding acquired knowledge in students with special educational needs (SEN). In our experiment, students with SEN (n=24) were compared with students without SEN (n=56). The design of the research was experimental. The research tool…

Purpose: This study delves into the effectiveness of local service providers (LSP) in improving production outcomes of small-scale aquaculture farmers in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach: To gauge the effectiveness of LSPs, the research employs a performance-based assessment approach, focusing on 1653 fish farming households distributed…

Live animal shows, which combine animal facts with trained behaviours, are commonly used to engage zoo visitors globally. However, such shows have been criticised for portraying a potentially unhelpful image of 'performing animals' and have raised issues of animal welfare ethics. Little is known about the educational effectiveness of these shows.…

To deliver a comprehensive learning experience while shifting to online teaching due to COVID-19, educators at The University of Queensland (Australia) adopted Lt, a cloud-based platform, to overcome the challenges of delivering animal anatomy practicals. A two-phased study was conducted to evaluate the use of Lt for both online and on-campus…

In this study, we randomly assigned struggling readers in special needs education (n = 23; 8-12 years of age) to a dog-assisted reading intervention or a similar intervention without a dog present. Students participated in 30-minute reading sessions twice a week for a total of six weeks. Using two standardised tests we measured reading skills…

The psychological well-being of university students is a growing concern, both in the UK and globally. In light of emerging research on the benefits of therapy dogs for student well-being, this study compared the use of therapy dogs to more conventional methods for improving students' well-being. Ninety-four university students were randomly…

Purpose: To evaluate the success of behavioural interventions designed to improve preventative animal health planning by dairy farmers in Wales. Methods: Interviews of farmers, veterinarians; focus group with extension officers; post-hoc written reflections from project managers; survey of farmers and veterinarians; farmer dropout analysis.…

As significant numbers of university students report high levels of stress, post-secondary institutions are seeking accessible mental health and wellness supports. The outreach program presented integrates therapy dogs, therapeutic horticulture, and art making interventions. Over 170 participants completed questionnaires surveying demographic…

Emotion is a central aspect for protecting the environment in environmental and sustainability education (ESE). As such, positive emotions toward nature can increase motivation to learn and take environmental action. This qualitative case study explored the complex interrelationship among place-based education, emotions and values related to ESE,…

Learners with autism are affected by different challenges during learning. There is a growing focus on education to facilitate learners to become more self-resilient by involving animals in learning spaces. This qualitative study explored the impact of animal involvement on the learning experiences of learners with autism. Twenty diaries, 32…

Purpose: The paper investigates the multi-actor processes of knowledge co-production in the implementation of research-based on-farm demonstration with a focus on collaboration arrangements and areas of contention. Design/Methodology/Approach: Building on science studies and literature on farmer participatory research and extension, the paper uses…

This study explored children's perceptions of a canine-assisted social-emotional learning program developed within the framework of a canine therapy program at a mid-sized Canadian university. Data collection made use of interviews, field notes, and observations. Children (N = 8, 5-11 years) from an after-school program participated in a six-week…