East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 8-2020 Determining if Classroom Pets as part of an Empathy-Based Intervention Affect Public Elementary School Students’ Empathy Randa Dunlap East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Early Childhood Education Commons, and the Elementary Education Commons Recommended Citation Dunlap, Randa, "Determining if Classroom Pets as part of an Empathy-Based Intervention Affect Public Elementary School Students’ Empathy" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3796. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3796 This Dissertation - unrestricted is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Determining if Classroom Pets as part of an Empathy-Based Intervention Affect Public Elementary School Students’ Empathy ________________________ A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Department of Early Childhood Education East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Early Childhood Education ______________________ by Randa L. Dunlap August 2020 _____________________ Dr. Amy J. Malkus, Chair Dr. Edward Dwyer Dr. Pamela Evanshen Keywords: classroom pets, empathy, prosocial behaviors, project-based lessons ABSTRACT Determining if Classroom Pets as part of an Empathy-Based Intervention Affect Public Elementary School Students’ Empathy by Randa L. Dunlap The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if consistent exposure to classroom pets in public elementary school classrooms affected children’s empathy. The sample included 44 students (females = 22; males = 22; mean age = 8.3 years) from four third-grade classrooms. A pre-test, post-test design was used to measure students’ empathy levels, and percentage changes in empathy scores were recorded for all groups. The sample was a convenience sample, and random assignment to treatment groups was not possible. Treatment included using classroom pet fish along with empathy-based lessons. Of the four participating classrooms, one classroom was the Control Group, with no classroom pet and no lessons. A second classroom was the Pet Only group (pet fish in the classroom, but no empathy-based treatment regimen). The third classroom was the Lessons Only group, which had no pet but the students engaged in a series of empathy-based mini lessons. The fourth classroom was the Pet+Lessons group, where students cared for, and interacted with, the classroom pet fish in addition to participating in a 4- week empathy-based treatment regimen. Each group participated in pre- and post-tests using the Bryant Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents (Bryant, 1982), and the Lessons Only and Pet + Lessons group had four consecutive weeks of empathy-based mini lessons (each lesson with an opportunity for 2 expansion through a project-based approach). This was followed by one week to reflect on the learning through final discussions and to re-administer the post-test. After exposure to the classroom pet and the empathy intervention, the three treatment groups all experienced an increase in empathy, while the Control Group experienced a decrease, suggesting that classroom pets, project-based empathy lessons, or a combination of both all had a positive impact on children’s empathy. Additionally, qualitative data in the form of interviews with classroom teachers, field notes from the researcher during empathy lessons, and examination of children’s empathy journals was analyzed to gain more knowledge on teacher and student perspectives of teaching and learning empathy and working with a classroom pet. Results are discussed relative to future research and classroom practices. 3 Copyright 2019 by Randa L. Dunlap All Rights Reserved 4 DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my parents, Randy and Reba, two of the strongest individuals I know. Thank you for always believing in me and encouraging me to pursue my dreams! 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge my Chair and mentor, Dr. Malkus, and thank her for all of her guidance and support during this process. I would also like to thank my committee members, Drs. Dwyer and Evanshen, for their encouragement and expertise. Thank you to my former teachers and professors who have helped and taught me along the way. I would like to extend sincere thanks and appreciation to the teachers and students who participated, without whom this study would not have been possible. Thank you also to my family and friends, especially Mom, Dad, Paw Henry, and Devin, who have experienced this journey with me from start to finish. You all are appreciated more than you could ever know. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... 2 DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 6 LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ 11 Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 13 Importance of Empathy ....................................................................................................... .15 Importance of Pets ................................................................................................................ 17 The Project Approach ........................................................................................................... 18 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................... 19 Research Questions………...………………………………………….……………………20 Definitions of Key Terms…………………………………………………………………...21 Summary………………………………………………………………….………………....22 Chapter 2. Review of Literature ................................................................................................ 23 Theoretical Framework…………..…………………………………………………………23 Piaget……………………………………………………………………………………..23 Constructivist Theory and the Project Approach………………………………………25 Empathy…………..………………...………………………………………………………26 Empathy as a Set of Constructs………………..……………………………….................28 Empathy in Children……………………..……………..…………………………..……30 Empathy in the Classroom………….………..…………………………………………..31 Pets…………………………………………………………....…………………………….32 Pet Attachment and Prosocial Behaviors…………………………………………………33 Pet Attachment and Empathy…………………………..……..………………………….33 Pets in Prevention Programs and Childhood Animal Cruelty..………….……………….34 Pet Ownership……………………..……………………………………………..………37 Pet Ownership versus Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT)………………………………38 Animal-Assisted Therapy and Intervention……………………….…………………39 7 Classroom Pets…………………...…………………………………………..……………41 Why Do You Want a Pet in the Classroom…………………..……………………..….41 How Will This Pet Be Cared For on a Daily Basis, and Who Will Be Responsible…...42 Conclusions From the Literature…………………………………………………...……….44 Chapter 3. Methodology……………………………………………………………………….46 Research Questions…………………………………………………………………………46 Data Collection Procedures for a Mixed Methods Study……………………………………47 Participants………………………………………………………………………………….48 Sampling Technique………………………………………...……………………………50 Sample Size…………………………………………………...………………………….51 Descriptive Statistics Looking at Sex and Age………………...…………………………51 Classroom Pet……………………………...………………………………………………..52 Setting…………………………………………………………………………………...….54 Measures…………………………………...……………………………………………….55 Bryant Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents…………………………………55 Teacher and Guidance Counselor Interviews………………………………………….....56 Weekly Empathy Lessons……………...………………………………………………...57 Work Samples and Anecdotal Notes………...…………………………………………...61 Validity and Reliability………………………...………………………………………...61 Procedure……………..……………………………………………………………………62 Obtaining Consent……………………………………...………………………..………63 Pre-Test……………..…………………………………………………………………...63 Assignment of Groups to Treatment Conditions………..……………………………….64 Involving the Guidance Counselor During Empathy Lessons……….………………….65 Implementing Aspects From the Project Approach……………………………..……..66 Introducing the Pet Fish………...……………………………………………………...67 Rationale for Planning Methods…………………………...…………………………..68 Finalizing the Study: Post-Test and Interviews…………….…………………………...69 8 Summary………………………………………………………………………………...….70 Chapter 4. Results and Data Analysis…………………………………………………………..71 Research Design…………………………………………………………………………….71 Preliminary Statistical Analysis…………………………………………………………….73 Descriptive Statistical Analysis……………………………………………………………..73 Research Questions…………..…………………………………………………………….74 Using the Results to answer the Research Questions………………………………………..75 Quantitative Percentage Changes In Empathy Scores Within Groups………………..….76 Examining Sex as a Variable…………………………………………………………...78 Examining Age as a Variable…………………………………………………………..79 Variance Between Groups…..…………….……………………………………………..80