Developing Life Skills or ‘Just a Good Day Out’? Evaluation of an Equine Assisted Learning Programme for School Children (66199)
Session Chair: Sukitha Kunasegaran
Sunday, January 8, 2023 (19:45)
Session: Session 5
Room: Live-Stream B
Presentation Type:Live-Stream Presentation
Equine-Assisted Learning Programme (EALP) was delivered by Equitots Lanarkshire Community Interest Company to promote the development of life skills using an experiential learning approach.
The research questions were:
RQ1: What aspects of the programme work (or not)?
RQ2: What changes in cognitive, psychomotor or social skills were witnessed during and/or after the EALP in the children or young persons?
RQ3: What experiences do teachers and programme trainers report about the EALP?
The intervention involved 25 sessions with five primary education schools, with four children per school attending five sessions each. Primary schools were from two local authority areas in Scotland, UK. The intervention involved a variety of activities designed with and without the pony for primary school children (aged between 8yrs-11yrs). Ethical approval was gained through University of Stirling General University Ethics Panel GUEP509, and management approval was granted via the Head of Education in both Local Authorities.
Sample: Seven teachers from five primary schools and one programme trainer volunteered to take part in the study. Audio-recorded face-to-face or telephone interviews using a semi-structured set of questions, approximately 60-90 minutes in length, were used to collect data from participants. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings:
This presentation will present findings from this research study, using 4 themes:
• relationships and trust
• communication and confidence
• achievement
• teamwork and participation
In conclusion, this study suggests that EALP may have a significant impact on the way the child learns, as well as having longer-term benefits.
Authors:
Lorna Stoppard, University of Stirling, United Kingdom
Jayne Donaldson, University of Stirling, United Kingdom
About the Presenter(s)
Ms Lorna Stoppard is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at University of Stirling in the United Kingdom
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