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The controlled trial of CARing kids: Animal assiste humane education on social emotional development on primary students
Date Issued
2021
Conference
Citation
Ngai, Joe Tsz Kin, Chau, Kathy K. Y., Lee, Jean C. Y., Yu, Rose W. M., Wong, Paul W. C. (2021 Sep 16). The controlled trial of CARing kids: Animal assiste humane education on social emotional development on primary students. One Welfare World Conference 2021.
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
The World Health Organization indicated that Urbanization would be a global challenge for the coming three decades. As a result, our next generation's natural environment, society structure, and mental and physical health would be deeply impacted. For the fast-changing, stressful, and demanding environment and society, an animal-assisted humane education programme named Competence in
Active Resilience for Kids (The CARing Kids) was developed to equip children with social, emotional competence, and pro-animal attitudes. The CARing Kids is a sixsession curriculum that included Humane Education, Social-Emotional Learning and Animal Assisted Education, featuring interactive learning activities and the canine companion reading of humane literature. This presentation would describe the design, theoretical framework, preliminary impact, and mechanism of the CARing
Kids.
A pilot sequential mixed-method controlled trial was implemented with 50 primary three students. A primary school in Hong Kong were selected. The two classes of grade 3 students (Age ranged 8 to 10) were randomly assisted into the subject and control group. The subject group (n=25) received the CARing Kids programme, and the control group (n=25) received the formal life education programme. The participants in CARing Kids significantly reduced hyperactivity (t = -2.04, p =.03) and enhanced empathy (t = 2.90, p 〈.01) while no significant change for the control group was obtained.
Furthermore, the repeated measure ANOVA revealed that participants had reduced emotional problems compared to the control group who received formal life education (F =5.44, p = .02). Echoing with quantitative analysis, the follow up qualitative evaluation suggested improved self-control, humane attitude andemotional regulation after joining the CARing Kids. Thus, the preliminary results suggested that the CARing Kids might cultivate empathy and improved emotional regulation. Nonetheless, vigorous systematic formative evaluation should be included in future follow-up studies to ensure sustainability and fidelity.
A pilot sequential mixed-method controlled trial was implemented with 50 primary three students. A primary school in Hong Kong were selected. The two classes of grade 3 students (Age ranged 8 to 10) were randomly assisted into the subject and control group. The subject group (n=25) received the CARing Kids programme, and the control group (n=25) received the formal life education programme. The participants in CARing Kids significantly reduced hyperactivity (t = -2.04, p =.03) and enhanced empathy (t = 2.90, p 〈.01) while no significant change for the control group was obtained.
Furthermore, the repeated measure ANOVA revealed that participants had reduced emotional problems compared to the control group who received formal life education (F =5.44, p = .02). Echoing with quantitative analysis, the follow up qualitative evaluation suggested improved self-control, humane attitude andemotional regulation after joining the CARing Kids. Thus, the preliminary results suggested that the CARing Kids might cultivate empathy and improved emotional regulation. Nonetheless, vigorous systematic formative evaluation should be included in future follow-up studies to ensure sustainability and fidelity.
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