Childhood is a developmental period in which cognitive abilities and emotional capacities grow in tandem. In this context, animal welfare education holds significant importance as it serves not merely to transmit knowledge but as a fundamental stage f...
Childhood is a developmental period in which cognitive abilities and emotional capacities grow in tandem. In this context, animal welfare education holds significant importance as it serves not merely to transmit knowledge but as a fundamental stage for cultivating empathy and attitudes of respect toward others and living beings. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively analyze, through the use of existing data, how a non-animal-mediated animal welfare education program incorporating gamification elements influences the improvement of children’s awareness of animal welfare and changes in their attitudes of respect for others. Through this approach, children were guided to develop both reflective thinking and empathetic understanding regarding animal welfare issues without imposing any physical burden on animals. The subjects of analysis were the de-identified survey response data of 41 elementary school students who participated in the non-animal-mediated animal welfare education program operated at community child centers in the Seoul metropolitan area. The content of the educational program was constructed with reference to educational materials from domestic animal rights organizations as well as relevant prior research, and changes in the level of animal welfare awareness and attitudes of respect for others were statistically verified before and after the program. The analysis results indicated that the children who participated in the program demonstrated a distinct improvement in their overall level of understanding of animal welfare. In particular, the gamified elements embedded in the activities stimulated the children's interest and induced voluntary participation, which subsequently led to a significant increase in learning engagement. These findings suggest that animal welfare education can extend beyond the mere provision of information to serve as a meaningful domain of character education. Future research needs to overcome the limitations of short-term educational programs and examine the sustainability of their effects through long-term designs that allow for repeated experiences over a certain period. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Konkuk University (IRB No. KKUIRB-202512--158).