Three Things to Know
A study examined the academic benefits of humane education by comparing two student groups. The experimental group read animal-related materials, while the control group used traditional test preparation materials.
Students who read animal protection-themed passages achieved significantly higher scores on the reading assessment. Researchers attributed this to increased motivation and engagement driven by students’ inherent interest in animals.
The study emphasized the crucial role of motivation during the middle-to-high school transition and underscored the urgent need for humane education for students with special education needs.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners
Humane education effectively fosters empathy, enhances social and emotional interaction, and develops relationship building skills in students. This study suggests animal-themed education can also improve focus, particularly for students with special education needs. Therefore, dog welfare organizations should work with their communities in offering humane education services. Innovative approaches, such as storytelling and after-school homework clubs at SPCAs, demonstrate potential. To ensure widespread adoption, these initiatives require measurable success and strategic marketing.
The Full Picture
Each day, over 48,000 young people are held in U.S. juvenile detention facilities, and many struggle to re-enroll in or complete school after incarceration. These students face significant challenges, including maltreatment, poor academic histories, and a high need for special education services. Improving literacy is especially important, as low literacy is linked to higher rates of reoffending.
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) emphasize reading comprehension, critical thinking, and nonfiction literacy to prepare students for real-world problem-solving. Motivation plays a key role in academic success, and humane education — lessons that incorporate themes of empathy, animal welfare, and environmental responsibility — has been shown to increase student motivation and engagement.
This study, titled “Humane Education’s Effect on Middle School Student Motivation and Standards-Based Reading Assessment”, investigates whether integrating humane education into standards-aligned reading lessons can improve student performance on CCSS-based assessments.
Study Methods
A total of 192 sixth-grade students (aged 12–13) from New Jersey were randomly split into two groups: 99 students served as the experimental group, while the remainder served as the control group.
- Control group received texts from past state tests and prep materials, featuring high-interest topics unrelated to animal protection.
- Experimental group received four passages from PETA’s humane education division (TeachKind) focusing on rescued animals and one additional animal rescue passage from a NJ test prep guide.
All passages aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and matched for reading level (5th grade), length, font, and number of graphics.
Students each read five passages (one per session), followed by four multiple-choice questions. The students’ English language arts teacher administered the assessments. While students had unlimited time, most finished in under 20 minutes.
Study Results
Students in the experimental group (who read animal protection-themed passages) scored significantly higher on the overall reading assessment than the control group. When matched to the CCSS Reading for Information standards, the experimental group outperformed the control group specifically on items aligned with:
- RI 5.1 (Explicit/inferred meaning) – Higher scores were linked to students’ curiosity about animals.
- RI 5.3 (Relationships/interactions) – Real-world animal stories may have helped students grasp interactions better.
- RI 5.5 (Cause-effect/problem-solution) – Humane education emphasizes solutions and critical thinking, aligning with this standard.
- RI 5.8 (Evidence and reasoning) – Animal-related content motivated deeper reading and re-reading, improving comprehension.
The Academic Benefits of Humane Education
Students exposed to humane education (stories about kindness to animals) performed better academically, likely due to their natural interest in animals, which increased motivation and engagement with the reading material. Improved focus and attention led to better performance on reading assessments. This boost in motivation may help students, especially during the challenging transition from middle to high school.
Humane education also teaches empathy and compassion, which are crucial for at-risk youth, especially those in the juvenile justice system who often have a history of trauma. It fosters prosocial behavior and may help reduce aggression and antisocial tendencies.
Conclusion
This study concludes that humane education, particularly with animal protection themes, can enhance students’ academic performance, boost motivation and engagement, and encourage prosocial behavior — especially benefiting students with special education needs.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
Owned Dogs > What Dogs Bring > Benefits to Infants & Children
Year of Publication:
2021
External Link:
O’Connor J, Samuels WE. Humane Education’s Effect on Middle School Student Motivation and Standards-Based Reading Assessment. Social Sciences. 2021; 10(10):376. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10100376