Stuttering in the classroom: An exploration of Australian teachers' attitudes

This study investigates Australian primary school teachers' attitudes towards stuttering. While international research exists, there is limited data from this population in an Australian context.

A total of 174 primary school teachers in Victoria, Australia, completed an online version of the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attitudes-Stuttering (POSHA-S). Responses were compared with international and Australian population data from the POSHA-S database.

Australian teachers demonstrated significantly more favourable attitudes and greater self-awareness about stuttering than both the general Australian population and most international POSHA-S samples. Their mean Overall Stuttering Score was 37 (91^st percentile), significantly higher than the general population (p =.004) with a large effect size (d = 0.78). Compared to the Australian public, teachers reported greater comfort, reduced pity and fewer misconceptions, although knowledge gaps persisted. Informal sources of information about stuttering, such as the media and the internet, were commonly cited information channels. Teachers recognised the role of speech-language pathologists in supporting people who stutter.

The findings highlight the need for targeted professional development for primary school teachers to align positive attitudes with evidence-based knowledge. This study also lays the groundwork for future qualitative research into how teachers support students who stutter.