Teachers’ Awareness, Beliefs and Attitudes toward Pupils who are Stuttering in Upper Egypt.

Abstract

: This study assessed teachers’ awareness, beliefs of stuttering and their attitudes toward pupils who stutter (PWS) in Upper Egypt. A total of 382 teachers completed a questionnaire assessing teachers’ awareness, beliefs, and their attitudes to PWS as observed by the teachers. The results indicated an overall positive attitude toward stuttering. The teachers showed adequate knowledge about PWS, were able to recognize stutterers' characteristics, and responded appropriately. Parents were not inclined to approach teachers about their children's stuttering. Teachers' understanding of stuttering was variable. Analysis of the selected demographic factors revealed no significant results for the years of teaching experience and gender on teachers’ awareness, beliefs, and attitudes toward PWS. There is a general positive shift in attitudes of teachers towards pupils who stutter. There is a clear need for increased awareness and educational interventions to increase teachers’ knowledge about stuttering and to reduce the stigma attached to stuttering.