Reading to dogs in schools: an exploratory study of teacher perspectives

Abstract

Background: Reading to Dogs (RTD) interventions have become increasingly prevalent in UK primary schools. However, there is a need for research examining teachers' perspectives on RTD, as this could be key in influencing the uptake and adherence to school RTD interventions. Purpose: This study sought to examine primary school teachers' views of RTD in schools, exploring perceived benefits and challenges, in addition to their experience of RTD interventions. Methods: The sample was gathered through voluntary/selfselecting participation in an open questionnaire-based survey shared through UK online teaching forums. In total, 253 UK primary school teachers (with varying knowledge and experience of RTD) completed the questionnaire, which focused on benefits and challenges associated with RTD identified in existing literature. More specifically, teachers' perspectives of reading, social, emotional and behavioural benefits, and challenges (e.g. paperwork, time commitment, allergies, child/staff/dog welfare) were examined. Also, 59 teachers provided additional written comments regarding benefits and challenges associated with RTD. Results: Teachers' perspectives on RTD were generally very positive; perceptions of benefits to social, emotional and behavioural outcomes were more positive than those associated with reading outcomes. Furthermore, teachers perceived greater benefits to children's reading affect (e.g. motivation, confidence) than their reading frequency or skill. In general, teachers reported low concerns about the challenges associated with RTD; qualitative responses suggested that, while these challenges were real, they were not seen as insurmountable. Finally, teachers with greater knowledge and/or experience of RTD were more positive about its benefits and had fewer concerns about the challenges, although there were some exceptions. Additional written responses provided qualitative insights into teachers' experiences of RTD. Implications and conclusion: Overall, UK primary school teachers in our sample were very positive about RTD; while they acknowledged challenges, these were not regarded as barriers to implementation. Furthermore, teachers could provide useful insights into the benefits and challenges associated with RTD from a practical and pedagogical perspective. Indeed, this study highlights the importance of gaining teachers' perspectives of interventions that ARTICLE HISTORY

Supporting Young Readers: A Mixed-Methods Study of Their Literacy, Behaviour, and Perceptions When Reading Aloud to Dogs or Adults

“…This contrasts with what was expected, since other studies have found that most people believe reading to dogs can have a positive impact on children’s socio-emotional and behavioural development (Daly & Suggs, 2010 ; Reilly et al, 2020 ). For example, Steel et al, ( 2021 ) suggest that AAI’s perceived benefits to reading behaviour outweigh benefits to reading performance. In their self-report surveys of teachers, the number of questions evaluating behaviour ( n = 22) outweighed those of literacy ( n = 2) making it likely that reading performance was simply under assessed.…”

“…That is, children made comments about the dog being a “good listener” and that they “didn’t feel judged”. For example, Linder et al ( 2018 ) state that reading improvements may be related to the “…unconditional acceptance offered by companion animals” (p. 324), while Steel et al ( 2021 ) noted that “Proponents of RTD (reading to dogs) suggest that dogs provide a non-judgemental companion…” (p. 280).…”

“…However, while canine-assisted literacy interventions improve children’s reading-related behaviours (e.g., motivation, affect) this does not always extend to their actual reading performance (Uccheddu et al, 2019 ; Wohlfarth et al, 2014 ). Interestingly, when questioned about their perceptions of canine-assisted supports for literacy, teachers report that they believe that AAI benefits primarily the ‘soft skills’ related to reading such as confidence and motivation (Daly & Suggs, 2010 ; Steel et al, 2021 ). Indeed, a recent meta-analysis examining AAI’s impact on early learning shows that the biggest perceived gains are of a social nature (Reilly et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The present study asked the question: Might a school-based canine-assisted literacy support produce a different impact to a traditional adult-led model on children’s reading comprehension and oral literacy, social behaviour, and attitude towards reading? This study directly compared traditional literacy and canine-assisted interventions to examine the efficacy of what is becoming a more commonly used practice (Steele et al, 2021 ).…”

Overcoming the barriers facing children with English as an additional language: A Delphi study of teacher practices and perceptions in England.

“…Recently, interest has developed around collaborative research between teachers and researchers for the purpose of raising educational standards (Beveridge et al, 2018;Bevins & Price, 2014;Bleicher, 2014;Scottish Government, 2019;Steel et al, 2021) and as a way to close the gap between classroom practice and educational research (Bevins & Price, 2014;Lowden et al, 2019). For instance, a recent pre-COVID survey revealed that while only 7% of teachers would be willing to use external research in their practice, 60% of teachers would use research developed by teachers or schools (Nelson, 2019).…”