Primary School Teachers' Attitudes toward Speech-Language Pathology

A survey was undertaken to investigate the attitudes of primary school teachers toward speech-language pathology. Respondents from seven Melbourne metropolitan regions completed a 27 item questionnaire. 93.5% of questionnaires were returned. A factor analysis identified six discernible dimensions of teachers' attitudes, which accounted for 53.7% of the total variance. The results revealed that teachers have generally favourable attitudes toward speech-language pathology, the efficacy of remediation procedures, implementation methods, and the extent of its co-ordination with academic programs. Teachers also indicated an overall feeling of confidence in identifying speech-language problems but expressed a desire for greater information in the area, as well as some dissatisfaction with the extent of communication between the two professions. Practical implications are discussed.