Purpose: To examine the influence of monitor farm programmes on practice change using the Irish BETTER farm sheep programme as a case study. Methodology: A mixed methods approach combining 16 semi-structured and 69 structured interviews with benchmarking data analysis. Findings: Provision of intensive, tailored advice helped support practice…

Introduction: Rabies is a viral zoonotic disease which kills 59,000 people worldwide annually, 40% being children under the age of 15. Dogs are the main reservoir species for disease transmission. This study assessed the short-term impact of a single, creative teaching style education workshop on children's knowledge and understanding of rabies…

Students in higher education face a multitude of life changes and challenges. In order to promote their mental health, the use of canine-assisted interventions (CAI) has gained increasing attention, yet one area that remains insufficiently studied is the influencing characteristics that may lead to the positive effects of CAIs. This study is a…

The study investigates the potential of AI-powered plush robots to serve as assistive technologies for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) within educational and rehabilitation settings. It employed a qualitative research approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 13 experts from related fields to gather insights into the…

Burnout, often linked to increased stress, can impact student mental health, academic success, and overall well-being. To investigate animal-assisted interventions' (specifically a canine-assisted intervention; CAI) impact on student stress and burnout, a free CAI event was held on campus prior to final exams (n = 41). Self-selecting participants…

This article offers a more-than-human perspective on an equine assisted learning programme undertaken by marginalised young people attending a flexi-school in Australia. In contrast with therapist led equine programmes, our research examined horse assisted activities as a site of embodied learning. Paying attention to the affective dimension of…

The goal of the research was to find out the effect of using living animal in teaching on remembering and understanding acquired knowledge in students with special educational needs (SEN). In our experiment, students with SEN (n=24) were compared with students without SEN (n=56). The design of the research was experimental. The research tool…

Purpose: This study delves into the effectiveness of local service providers (LSP) in improving production outcomes of small-scale aquaculture farmers in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach: To gauge the effectiveness of LSPs, the research employs a performance-based assessment approach, focusing on 1653 fish farming households distributed…

The poles are recognized as the northernmost and southernmost points on Earth. These extremes are defined differently in terms of cartography, magnetism, geography, and the polar star. In Turkey, numerous activities have been carried out concerning the polar regions, such as the establishment of a scientific research camp and meteorological…

Live animal shows, which combine animal facts with trained behaviours, are commonly used to engage zoo visitors globally. However, such shows have been criticised for portraying a potentially unhelpful image of 'performing animals' and have raised issues of animal welfare ethics. Little is known about the educational effectiveness of these shows.…

To deliver a comprehensive learning experience while shifting to online teaching due to COVID-19, educators at The University of Queensland (Australia) adopted Lt, a cloud-based platform, to overcome the challenges of delivering animal anatomy practicals. A two-phased study was conducted to evaluate the use of Lt for both online and on-campus…

In this study, we randomly assigned struggling readers in special needs education (n = 23; 8-12 years of age) to a dog-assisted reading intervention or a similar intervention without a dog present. Students participated in 30-minute reading sessions twice a week for a total of six weeks. Using two standardised tests we measured reading skills…

The psychological well-being of university students is a growing concern, both in the UK and globally. In light of emerging research on the benefits of therapy dogs for student well-being, this study compared the use of therapy dogs to more conventional methods for improving students' well-being. Ninety-four university students were randomly…

Purpose: To evaluate the success of behavioural interventions designed to improve preventative animal health planning by dairy farmers in Wales. Methods: Interviews of farmers, veterinarians; focus group with extension officers; post-hoc written reflections from project managers; survey of farmers and veterinarians; farmer dropout analysis.…

As significant numbers of university students report high levels of stress, post-secondary institutions are seeking accessible mental health and wellness supports. The outreach program presented integrates therapy dogs, therapeutic horticulture, and art making interventions. Over 170 participants completed questionnaires surveying demographic…