The concept of “pets” as perceived by 4-8 year-old children

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: Feb 8, 2017
Versions:
2017-02-08 (1)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18844/cerj.v6i4.1412

Main Article Content

Abstract

A number of studies examining the interaction of children with animals have shown the benefits of animals on the physical, mental, emotional and social development of children. Especially thanks to pets, children can learn a great many things like love of nature and animals, in addition to developing a sense of responsibility and loyalty and building good relationships. This study aimed to put forward the concept of “pets†as perceived by children aged between four and eight. The study group used in this research consisted of kindergarten and 1st - 2nd grade primary school children (n = 94) from Bursa Province (Turkey) over the 2014-2015 school year. Semi-structured interview questions and the children’s drawings of “pet themed†pictures were employed as data collection tools. A document review of the collected data was conducted and analyzed using content analysis techniques. According to the results obtained, while a large number of the children knew the concept of “petsâ€, they had different ideas about the characteristics of pets, as was revealed in their drawings. Moreover, regarding the perception of pets, there appeared to be a difference between children who had pets and those who did not.

Keywords: early childhood, child, pets, perception.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
The concept of “pets” as perceived by 4-8 year-old children. (2017). Contemporary Educational Researches Journal, 6(4), 154–160. https://doi.org/10.18844/cerj.v6i4.1412
Issue
Vol. 6 No. 4 (2016): November
Section
Articles

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

References

Anderson, K. L., & Olson, M. R. (2006). The value of a dog in a classroom of children with severe emotional disorders. Anthrozoos, 19(1), 35–49.
Bustad, L.K. (1996). Recent discoveries about our relationships with the natural world. Compassion: Our Last Great Hope-Selected Speeches of Leo K. Bustad, DVM, PhD.
Jalongo, M.R., & Stamp, L.N. (1997). The arts in children’s lives: Aesthetic education in early childhood. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Gee, N.R., Harris, S. L., & Johnson, K. L. (2007). The role of the rapy dogs in speed and accuracy to complete motor skills tasks for preschool children. Anthrozoos, 20(4), 375–386.
Karasar, N. (2002). Bilimsel Arastırma Yontemi. Nobel Yayınları, 11. Baskı, Ankara.
Maruyama, M. (2010). The effects of animals on children's development of perspective-taking abilities. Dissertations and Theses. Portland State University, Paper 159.
Ilden, K., A., & Senol, S. (2000). Gorkem Buyuyor, "Cocuk ve Evcil Hayvanlar". Surekli Tıp Egitimi Dergisi, 9(1), 17-18.
Muslu, G. K., & Conk, Z. (2011) Animal-Assisted Interventions and Their Practice in Children, “Hayvan Destekli Uygulamalar ve Cocuklarda Kullanımı”. Dokuz Eylul Universitesi Hemsirelik Yuksekokulu Elektronik Dergisi, 4 (2), 83-88.
Odendaal, J. S. J. (2000). Animal-assisted therapy–magic or medicine?. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 49(4), 275–280.
Poresky, R. H., Hendrix, C., Mosier, J. E., & Samuelson, M. L. (1988). Children’s pets and adults’ self-concept. The Journal of Psychology, 122(5), 463-469.
Poresky, R. H. (1997). Sex, childhood pets and young adults’ Self-concept scores. Psychological Reports, 80, 371-377.
Samurcay, N. (2006). Cocuk ve Resim, ART_ST, 6, 22-27.
Ugurlu, S. B. (2013). Using animal characters in children picture books. International Periodical for the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic Volume 8/4 Spring 2013, 1382-1393.
Walters Esteves, S., & Stokes, T. (2008). Social effects of a dog’s presence on children with disabilities. Anthrozoos, 21(1), 5–15.
Yavuzer, H. (2005). Resimleriyle Cocuk, Istanbul: Remzi Kitabevi, 11. baskı.
Zasloff, R. L., & Hart, L. A. (1999). Animals in elementary school education in California. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2(4), 347.