Pawtnering for success : examining academic achievement and student engagement in ELAR.

This mixed-methods case study explored the effects of Animal-Assisted Interventions on academic achievement and student engagement in a rural Texas public school. A certified school support dog, Mocha, was integrated into one Kindergarten and one fifth-grade English Language Arts and Reading classroom, with matched control classrooms for comparison. Academic growth was measured using Beginning-of-Year and Middle-of-Year Measures of Academic Progress Growth reading assessments. Student motivation, engagement, self-regulation, and social interaction were documented daily through a structured teacher observation tool: PAWtner Work Protocol. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests, while qualitative observations were thematically coded. Results highlighted both academic and social-emotional patterns associated with Animal-Assisted Interventions, offering evidence of potential benefits for students in rural, Title I schools. This study contributes to the limited research on facility dogs in education and underscores the value of structured observation in evaluating classroom interventions.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Crawley, Austin (David Austin), 1975-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Gibson, Janet (Professor)

• Classroom intervention.
• Mixed-methods case study.
• Rural Texas public school.
• Animal-assisted intervention.
• Facility dog program.
• PAWtner Work Protocol.
• Certified school support dog.
• Academic outcomes.
• Student engagement.
• Reading assessments.
• Evidence of intervention benefits.
• English, language arts, and reading (ELAR)

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14650

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14650