Three Things to Know
Rapid urbanization has diminished human interaction with animals, potentially leading to reduced empathy for other species. The CARing Kids program, a humane education initiative in Hong Kong, aims to address this by fostering empathy, prosocial behavior, and cognitive competence.
Researchers observed that the program yielded lasting improvements in empathy and cognitive competence, as well as a short-term reduction in hyperactivity. However, these benefits were primarily seen in students recruited as a class. Individually recruited students did not exhibit the same positive outcomes, likely due to the time needed to adapt to a new social environment.
Focus group discussions revealed that the presence of dogs significantly motivated students, resulting in improved self-control, enhanced humane attitudes, and strengthened reading skills. Nevertheless, the program’s expansion is hindered by tight academic schedules and a limited number of trained canines, challenges that require resolution for wider implementation.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners
Humane education plays a crucial role in fostering empathy and cognitive competence in future generations. The opportunity for students to interact with dogs proved highly valuable, leading to improved self-control and the cultivation of humane attitudes. Dog welfare organizations are uniquely positioned to spearhead such programs, offering a valuable community service while nurturing responsible future dog owners.
Moreover, this study underscores the significant influence of social setting on program effectiveness. Students who learned with familiar classroom companions demonstrated positive outcomes, whereas those randomly grouped did not. Humane educators should therefore prioritize understanding and addressing social dynamics within their programs. When working with unfamiliar groups, such as in summer camps, allocating additional time to facilitate social bonding and comfort is essential for maximizing learning outcomes.
The Full Picture
The rapid urbanization of the past century has led to various environmental challenges, including pollution, zoonotic diseases, and mental health issues. It has also led to decreased contact with animals, potentially reducing empathy for other species. Since empathy and emotional affinity influence pro-environmental behavior, early education in social and emotional learning (SEL) and humane education may foster more compassionate attitudes.
Research supports SEL’s positive impact on social behavior, academic performance, and long-term well-being, while humane education has shown promise in developing empathy and prosocial behavior. However, limitations in study methodologies have hindered broader adoption. This paper, titled “Effectiveness of a school-based programme of animal-assisted humane education in Hong Kong for the promotion of social and emotional learning: A quasi-experimental pilot study”, presents findings from the pilot phase of the Competence in Active Resilience for Kids (CARing Kids) program, which integrates humane education with animal-assisted SEL in Hong Kong primary schools.
The CARing Kids Program
The CARing Kids program is a unique six-session curriculum designed to cultivate empathy, social-emotional skills, and environmental awareness in Hong Kong primary school students (grades 2 and 3). This program blends the principles of SEL with humane education, creating an engaging learning experience through interactions with certified reading dogs.
Unlike traditional SEL or humane education, CARing Kids combines core SEL elements with a strong focus on empathy. Each session utilizes real-life dog stories presented in picture books to capture students’ interest and boost reading motivation. Sessions follow a structured format: an introduction, interactive learning games, reading aloud to the dogs, story-based discussions, and a concluding summary. The curriculum covers key areas such as environmental literacy, cognitive skill development, and interpersonal problem-solving.
Study Methods
Two schools participated in the pilot. Due to differences in teaching arrangements and extracurricular policies, researchers used two distinct recruitment methods. In School 1, students were recruited by class, with one class participating in the CARing Kids curriculum (intervention group), while another class continued with the school’s standard life education program (control group). In contrast, School 2 followed an individual-based recruitment approach, with 30 students randomly selected to participate.
Data collection took place at three time points: before the program (T1), one week after completion (T2), and four weeks after completion (T3). Both students and parents completed questionnaires at each stage.
In addition to the surveys, several focus groups were held with students, parents, and teachers to gather qualitative insights into the program’s impact and identify potential implementation challenges.
Study Results
The CARing Kids curriculum was piloted from October 2018 to January 2019, involving 110 primary school students from two schools with similar socio-economic backgrounds. Most participants were non-companion animal owners (87.27%), and the majority of parents were mothers (70.00%) with junior secondary education (45.46%).
Impact of Recruitment Strategies
The quantitative analysis revealed a significant difference in outcomes between the class-recruited and individually recruited CARing Kids groups. Specifically, only the class-recruited group demonstrated lasting improvements in empathy and cognitive competence, as well as a short-term decrease in hyperactivity.
Interestingly, the individually recruited group exhibited a temporary decline in empathy and cognitive competence at the second assessment (T2), followed by a recovery at the third assessment (T3). This initial dip likely reflects the time required for these students, who were unfamiliar with each other, to build social connections and establish effective collaborative learning dynamics within the group activities.
However, MVC users gave slightly lower scores to the explanations of treatments and time spent with the veterinarian, though over 80% still rated these aspects as “good.” For APCC users, relatively lower scores were given to how veterinarians discussed treatment options, expressed interest in owners’ opinions, and explained costs, but these aspects were still rated positively by over 80% of respondents.
Key Benefits Identified from Focus Group Discussions
Focus group discussions with students, teachers, and parents revealed three key benefits of the CARing Kids program:
- Improved Self-Control: Participants demonstrated enhanced discipline, reduced aggression, and better anger management. Teachers observed increased student compliance during lessons, attributing it to the children’s eagerness to interact with the reading dogs. Parents reported fewer behavioral problems at home.
- Cultivated Humane Attitudes: Students developed more positive perceptions of dogs, with some even influencing their families’ views. Participants also displayed a greater sense of empathy towards animals.
- Enhanced Reading Skills: Canine-assisted reading significantly increased student motivation and engagement. Some students with limited verbal comprehension showed improved enthusiasm for reading, and positive reading experiences strengthened parent-child bonds.
The presence of the dogs proved to be a powerful motivator, consistent with previous research on animal-assisted education. Students’ desire to interact with the animals boosted their engagement, reduced learning frustration, and fostered compassion and respect for all living beings.
Furthermore, the program had a calming effect, improving self-control and classroom dynamics. Physical interaction with the dogs reduced stress responses, promoting emotional stability. This, in turn, created a more manageable classroom environment conducive to effective learning and teaching.
Overall, this pilot study demonstrates the significant potential of animal-assisted interventions to enhance students’ social-emotional competence in Hong Kong schools.
Implementation Obstacles
Education Policy – Packed School Schedule: Teachers and parents noted that the six-session CARing Kids program felt too short for substantial improvement. While parents expressed interest in a year-long intervention, teachers highlighted the difficulty of integrating an extended extracurricular program due to the already packed school schedule.
Community Culture – Insufficient Number of Trained Canines: The success of CARing Kids relies on positive human–animal interaction, but the low dog ownership rate in Hong Kong creates implementation challenges. With approximately 30 participants per class, the human-to-canine ratio was high, limiting individual interaction time with service animals.
These constraints pose challenges to the program’s feasibility and effectiveness, impacting its potential for long-term integration. Successful implementation requires collaboration among teachers, animal-assisted service providers, and school administrators to ensure feasibility and positive human–animal bonding. Neglecting these contextual factors can lead to ineffective programs that fail to translate research findings into practice.
Conclusion
The CARing Kids program successfully fostered empathy, self-control, and a humane attitude in students by providing opportunities for human–animal interaction, which is scarce in Hong Kong’s urban environment. The program created a stress-free learning atmosphere, helping students overcome educational obstacles and develop motivation for reading.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
–
Year of Publication:
2021
External Link:
Ngai JTK, Yu RWM, Chau KKY, Wong PWC (2021) Effectiveness of a school-based programme of animal-assisted humane education in Hong Kong for the promotion of social and emotional learning: A quasi-experimental pilot study. PLoS ONE 16(3): e0249033. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249033