In the master's thesis, I examined the role of a therapy dog in motivating students in the classroom.
The purpose of the master's thesis was to study domestic and foreign literature and, through empirical research, determine how the presence of a therapy dog in the classroom affects students. It explores the impact on students' motivation for academic learning, classroom atmosphere, students with different learning abilities, and the therapy dogs themselves. The aim was also to investigate how collaboration takes place among parents, the school, teachers, and therapy dog handlers, highlighting examples of good practice and challenges in integrating therapy dogs into schools.
In the theoretical part, I explained the basic characteristics of motivation and ways to encourage students to be more motivated. I also highlighted the positive effects of therapy dogs in the classroom and their role in motivating students.
In the empirical part, I presented the conductive empirical research based on a phenomenological approach. Using partially structured interviews, which I conducted with three therapy dog handlers, four school-based professionals, and four school-based professionals that are also thereapy dog handlers, I gained an in-depth insight into the positive aspects and challenges of integrating therapy dogs into teaching.
The results indicate that therapy dogs have a motivational role in the educational process. They motivate students to engage in academic activities, reading, and completing homework. The presence of a therapy dog calms and relaxes students, providing emotional support. Dogs do not judge students and unconditionally accept them, positively influencing their self-confidence. They also contribute positively to the classroom atmosphere by encouraging greater connectedness and collaboration among students. However, there are challenges in integrating therapy dogs into teaching. Some students may be allergic to or afraid of dogs, and competition among students may arise. Adherence to safety rules is essential when including therapy dogs in the classroom. Challenges also arise due to a shortage of therapy dog pairs, as educators would like to involve therapy dogs more frequently in teaching.
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