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MS Thesis - Faith Oster.pdf (7.52 MB)

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Examining Student-Animal Interactions in a Post-Secondary Animal Sciences Curriculum Through Student Responses and Animal Behavior

Oster, Faith Shayna
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1682095697818953

Abstract Details

2023, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Animal Sciences.
Animals are often used as educational resources in post-secondary educational settings across the United States, especially in animal science curricula. Yet, little is known about the effect of student-animal interactions (SAI) on students’ attitudes, curiosity, and empathy (ACE) towards animals or how their demographic backgrounds, past animal experience, and previous animal science coursework affect these areas. Moreover, while these SAI impact the animals used as educational resources, there is minimal understanding regarding their effect on the animals’ welfare. Thus, this study aimed to (1) determine if animal sciences students’ ACE responses toward animals changed over the course of the semester while identifying any demographic factors contributing to this change and (2) evaluate the emotional states of the animals used as educational resources through measurements of behavioral responses observed during SAI. This study was conducted at The Ohio State University during Autumn semester of 2022. A pre-course (n = 215) and post-course (n = 96) survey was administered to animal sciences students to collect self-reported demographic information, prior animal experience, prior animal science coursework, and ACE responses toward animals by species to determine if there was a change over the semester. Curiosity increased between the pre-course and post-course survey (p < 0.001), with students’ attitude, experience, and perceived knowledge of animals (p < 0.001) providing plausible explanations. There was a strong positive correlation between the students’ perceived knowledge of species and experience with species, indicating potential for further studies to assess changes in knowledge before and after working with animals (R = 0.793, p < 0.001). The emotional state of animals used as educational resources varied depending on the level of invasiveness of the activity as well as the length of SAI. Animals exhibited a higher frequency of negative emotional states during nonfamiliar student interactions and invasive activities and a higher frequency of positive emotional states during familiar student interactions or less invasive activities (p < 0.05). Overall, these findings indicate that a student’s background influences their responses towards animals and the nature of the SAI influences an animal’s behavioral responses.
Kimberly Cole (Advisor)
157 p.
Animal Sciences
Animal; Behavior; Attitude; Empathy; Curiostiy; Emotional states; Positive emotion; Emotional systems; Human-Animal Interactions; Student-animal interactions; Animal Sciences; Animal Behavior

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Citations

  • Oster, F. S. (2023). Examining Student-Animal Interactions in a Post-Secondary Animal Sciences Curriculum Through Student Responses and Animal Behavior [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1682095697818953

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Oster, Faith. Examining Student-Animal Interactions in a Post-Secondary Animal Sciences Curriculum Through Student Responses and Animal Behavior. 2023. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1682095697818953.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Oster, Faith. "Examining Student-Animal Interactions in a Post-Secondary Animal Sciences Curriculum Through Student Responses and Animal Behavior." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1682095697818953

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1682095697818953
158
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.