How Do Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) Know? A Survey of SLPs' Disciplinary Epistemology

Learning to think like a member of your profession is a crucial aspect of joining its ranks. One important but potentially hidden influence on professional thinking is the discipline's epistemology, or the beliefs that its members share about knowledge and learning. These beliefs impact clinical decision making, advocacy and research, and understanding a discipline's epistemology is thus critical to disciplinary education. However, speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') disciplinary epistemology remains largely unexplored.

The purpose of this study was to explore possible elements of SLPs' beliefs about knowledge and learning, and potential ways that these beliefs may vary.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Canadian SLPs, informed by the literature on potential ways of knowing in clinical contexts. Participants ranked and rated importance, use, and agreement with statements related to seven ways of knowing. We explored rationales for the rankings, barriers to use, and other possible ways of knowing via open-ended questions, and examined associations between respondent characteristics and ratings of least and most important ways of knowing.

Seventy-four SLPs completed the survey. Respondents agreed with the statements associated with all the ways of knowing, except for statements suggesting a preference for quantitative research. There were a small number of significant associations between demographic characteristics of participants and ways of knowing rated as most or least important. Open-ended survey data provided insight into what respondents value in knowledge; ways of knowing beyond those presented in our survey were suggested. Learning from others appears to be valued by SLPs. Scientific approaches, though clearly valued, were questioned. SLP disciplinary epistemology may be both focused on, and shaped by, clinical practice.

SLPs' disciplinary epistemology appears to be multifaceted and application-focused, informed by science and shaped by practice. Implications for professional education, practice and future research are discussed.

What is already known on this subject What we believe about knowledge and learning, as SLPs, underpins how we create and evaluate knowledge for our profession. Other professions (e.g., nursing, occupational therapy) have published explorations of their disciplinary epistemology; however, little has been published on this topic for SLPs. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge In this study, we explored possible elements of SLPs' disciplinary epistemology. Our findings suggest that SLPs' disciplinary epistemology includes a mixture of relational, practical, scientific and contextual components. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Deeply-held, often covert beliefs about knowing and learning influence how we evaluate and use knowledge. Potential mismatches between SLP's disciplinary epistemology and the underpinnings of evidence-based practice may contribute to difficulty with its implementation, while potential mismatches between disciplinary epistemology and training program curricula may influence student preparedness for clinical education and practice.