Abstract
BackgroundAs teachers form an important part of the intervention process with children who stutter in primary school, the primary aim was to describe primary school teachers’ attitudes in South Africa. The secondary aim was to compare teachers’ attitudes towards stuttering in South Africa with those from a pooled group of respondents in the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA-S) database from different countries collected in 2009–2014.MethodA quantitative, cross-sectional survey research design was used. Primary schools in two education districts in Western Cape, South Africa, were sampled. The POSHA-S, a self-administered questionnaire, was completed by a cluster sample of 469 participants.ResultsOverall positive attitudes towards stuttering were found, specifically related to the potential of people who stutter, although the result should be interpreted with caution as the sample was not homogenously positive. Teachers still had misconceptions about personality stereotypes and the cause of stuttering. The attitudes of the South African sample were slightly more positive compared with the samples in the current POSHA-S database.ConclusionWhen developing stuttering intervention strategies, there are a number of key considerations to take into account. The study provides a basis for speech-language therapists to think about intervention with teachers and which areas of stuttering to consider.
Highlights
It is well-documented in the literature that people in the child’s environment influence the child’s experiences of their stutter (Bennett, 2003; Blood & Blood, 2004), communicative ability and their progress in therapy (Murphy, Yaruss & Quesal, 2007)
The present study aims to address these questions in the South African context
The overall key results are presented according to the stuttering subscores, Beliefs about Stuttering and Selfreactions to Stuttering
Summary
It is well-documented in the literature that people in the child’s environment influence the child’s experiences of their stutter (Bennett, 2003; Blood & Blood, 2004), communicative ability and their progress in therapy (Murphy, Yaruss & Quesal, 2007). If teachers hold unsubstantiated views on stuttering, it can have a negative impact on how they perceive and interact with children who stutter (CWS; Abdalla & St. Louis, 2012). Teachers’ empathy and behaviour as they interact with CWS can have an impact on the way these children are viewed and treated by their peers (Boberg & Calder, 2012; Jenkins, 2010). The success of the therapeutic process is highly dependent on understanding the attitudes of significant others (including teachers) in CWS’ lives (Abdalla & St. Louis, 2012). Little is known about teachers’ attitudes towards stuttering in South Africa. As teachers form an important part of the intervention process with children who stutter in primary school, the primary aim was to describe primary school teachers’ attitudes in South Africa. The secondary aim was to compare teachers’ attitudes towards stuttering in South Africa with those from a pooled group of respondents in the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA-S) database from different countries collected in 2009–2014
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