| Purpose.;The purpose of this study was to determine how adults perceive human-animal interactions in an educational setting. Therefore, this study was designed to explore perceptions of principals and teachers using animals as pets and animal-assisted therapy within the school setting. Adult views were explored regarding the use of including animals as pets and AAT when used within the school setting.;Method.;A qualitative approach was used to determine adults' opinions about the use of live animals as pets and for AAT in their school buildings. A phenomenological approach was used because this study involves real-life, contemporary settings. Two schools in Texas, one with a cat in the library and the other using a dog in the office, were used in this study. Recorded, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the principal and three teachers at each school allowing the participants to describe their feelings about and perceptions of these experiences. Using the participant's responses in the interviews, I described and interpreted the data to understand the phenomenon.;Findings.;The principals of the two schools described the various animals used in their schools with an optimistic attitude. Even though there were differences in the ways the animals were used, they both discussed the animals that interacted with the students in a positive manner. The themes for the principal interviews are relationships, use of animals, benefits, school environment, and teaching children.;The six teachers were all very cooperative in the interviews and had positive feelings toward animals. However, they had mixed views about the diverse use of animals at their schools. All of the teachers were aware of the animals in their schools and had seen them, though not all teachers interacted with the animals regularly. Some of the teachers revealed a desire to use the animals more with their students, while others were content with the amount of interaction they currently had. The themes for the teachers are relationships, school environment, benefits use of animals, and teaching children.;KEY WORDS: Animals in education, Animal-Assisted Therapy, School environment. |
