JAASEP FALL 2006 Part 5 of 7
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Due to the current outcome-based education movement, educators are being held accountable for implementing research-based interventions that are empirically valid. Since this school reform process emphasizes the making of adequate yearly progress for entire school populations, which includes individuals with exceptionalities, educators must select conceptual models of teaching that: (a) have a theoretical foundation, (b) are associated with achievement of meaningful outcomes, (c) are scientifically valid, and (d) are socially valid (Simpson, 1999). As a result, “the education of children and youth with emotional or behavior disorders is now governed by a consistent philosophy or conceptual model that is linked to instructional methodology. Although slavish devotion to a single conceptual model is not desirable…our field would be advanced by a more integrated, less haphazard conceptual approach” (Kauffman, 2005, p. 79). In support of this, recent scientific literature recommends that various conceptual models of teaching be viewed as complementary rather than competing.
In response to the need for utilizing researched-based interventions, empirical evidence is provided on the effects the dog’s presence had on students’ emotional well-being and character development.
Abstract
Described in this article is an empirical study that examined the effects of a dog in a self-contained classroom for students with severe emotional or behavioral disorders. The authors illustrate how the design of the study was based upon the integration of three conceptual models (ecological systems approach, social-cognitive approach, and cognitive-behavioral approach) and indicate that these approaches contributed to the positive results achieved. Across an eight-week period of time, observational and interview data revealed that the dog’s placement in the classroom improved students’ attitudes toward school, contributed to their emotional stability and ability to manage their own behaviors, and facilitated students’ learning of lessons in responsibility, respect, and empathy that enhanced their interactions with adults and peers.