Gallard, D (2015) ANTHROZOOLOGY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: A MULTIPHASE MIXED METHODS STUDY OF ANIMAL-RELATED EDUCATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD. Doctoral thesis, Liverpool John Moores University.

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Abstract

This study is about the features of educational experience in early childhood linked to animals, with a particular emphasis on the role and perspectives of early education practitioners (EEPs) in England. It includes a consideration of the influences of the earlier scholars and philosophers and a shift in pedagogy and methods for young children’s education; about animals, with animals and ‘as nature’. The study ‘maps’ the status of animal-related education in early childhood and it notes a decline in animal-assisted learning which has occurred as an outcome of particular political activities, legislation, and other factors. The research is both exploratory and confirmatory and utilised a mixed methods bricolage as a methodology, method and philosophy. There are three phases of research; an evaluation of the status of animal-assisted and animal-related learning in early childhood education, an inquiry into the attitudes and perspectives of early education practitioners and the development and piloting of a framework to support early education practitioners for animal-related education. The action-oriented final phase includes the piloting of an ‘Animal Aware School’ scheme and a number of dissemination activities and these are evaluated. An outcome of the research is the identification of the association between animal-related education and the global agenda for a Sustainable Future (SF) and the emergence of the notion of ‘noticing animals’. The findings of this thesis make an original contribution to knowledge in the field in three ways; 1) There has been a collection of new data – predominantly the perspectives of early education practitioners about animal-related education in early childhood – and a first systematic review of relevant texts and discourse, 2) This is a first inquiry at the intersection of the anthrozoology, early childhood education and psychology fields of study about animal-related education in early childhood, and 3) There has been the creation of a new term ‘Early Childhood Educational Anthrozoology’ which has not been in usage before and will help with future discourse.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	early childhood; early education; anthrozoology; early education practitioners; animal-related learning; animal-assisted learning; animal-related education; sustainability; early childhood educational anthrozoology
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education
Divisions:	Education
Date Deposited:	17 Oct 2016 15:25
Last Modified:	03 Sep 2021 23:26
DOI or ID number:	10.24377/LJMU.t.00004494
Supervisors:	Hennessy, Claire, McIlroy, David and Smears, Elizabeth
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/4494

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