Summary
Objectives
The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) the knowledge of primary school
teachers regarding voice and voice disorders, (2) the primary school teacher's ability
to identify and refer a dysphonic child to a speech-language pathologist (SLP), and
(3) potential contributing factors that might affect this ability.
Method and Materials
Thirty-one primary school teachers (30 women, one man) with a mean age of 33 years
(range: 22-57 years; SD: 11.1 years) were included in this study. They filled out
an online questionnaire, gathering demographic information, estimations of their knowledge
regarding voice and voice disorders, and their ability to refer a dysphonic child
to an SLP. Furthermore, they completed an online quiz (maximum score: 9) with basic
questions about the voice, vocal health and voice disorders.
Results
Most teachers (58.1%) rated their knowledge as basic, 16.1% as adequate and 25.8%
as good. One out of four teachers (25.8%) received voice-related information during
their education. A substantial part (38.7%) gathered information through other channels,
such as voice therapy. Almost all participants (90%) reported to have no or little
experience with dysphonic children. Half of them (51.6%) felt unsure about their ability
to refer a dysphonic child to an SLP, and 54.8% were willing to attend extra voice
workshops. A significant association was found between the estimated knowledge regarding
voice (disorders) and attendance of voice therapy (P = 0.020). More than half of the teachers who attended voice therapy (57.1%) estimated
their voice-related knowledge as good, compared to only 16.7% of the teachers who
did not attend voice therapy. Moreover, a significant association was found between
the years of teaching experience and the quiz total score (P = 0.040). The majority of the teachers with the least teaching experience (57.1%)
achieved a score between 4 and 6, whereas the teachers with more experience achieved
a score between 7 and 9.
Conclusion
This study suggests that the voice-related knowledge of primary school teachers is
limited. Consequently, teachers do not feel confident in referring a dysphonic child
to an SLP. As teachers can be important sources in indirect assessment of pediatric
dysphonia, they need to be well informed and extensively trained in using voice screening
protocols. Interdisciplinary cooperation between SLPs and teachers should be optimized
to provide the best available care and improve the children's quality of life.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 08, 2022
Accepted:
June 30,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.