Term of Award
Summer 2019
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)
Document Type and Release Option
Dissertation (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading
Committee Chair
Jonathan Hilpert
Committee Member 1
Timothy Mantooth
Committee Member 2
Marla Morris
Committee Member 3
John Weaver
Abstract
Expanding upon the research on ecology in curriculum studies and companion animals, this mixed methods case study aimed to explore how the incorporation of a nonhuman entity impacted the relational ecology of the exceptional student classroom. Utilizing actor-network theory as a theoretical guideline, the goal of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how the introduction of a therapy dog as a student affected the relational ecology of the classroom by analyzing the dynamic networks of relationships formed between the students and the therapy dog. Relational ecology acted as a conceptual framework within the field of curriculum studies to better understand the implications of those networks of relationships observed and documented between the students and a therapy dog. I aimed to determine whether the expansion of the classroom ecology to include a therapy dog would disrupt oppressive patterns of relating and interacting for exceptional students such as aggression, defiance, and power struggles, or, facilitate empowering patterns of relating and interacting such as on-task behaviors and cooperation. Using a mixed methods observational case study with two-time series, it was found that the therapy dog's presence improved the overall relational ecology of the classroom and demonstrated how animals can help shape identities and promote well-being in terms of social interactions. Data showed an increase in the formation of social networks, as well as an increase in behaviors of empowerment, decrease in oppressive behaviors, and a flattening of the social hierarchy previously exhibited in the classroom.
OCLC Number
857427531
Catalog Permalink
https://galileo-georgiasouthern.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01GALI_GASOUTH/1fi10pa/alma9916235390902950 COPY THE PERMALINK TO CLIPBOARD CLOSE
Recommended Citation
Blanton, Kristin A., "Actor-Network Theory and Animal Therapy: Uncovering the Relational Ecology of the Exceptional Student Classroom" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1961.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1961
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
