Department of Communication Sciences, College for Women, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait.
J Fluency Disord. 2012 Mar;37(1):54-69. doi: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2011.11.007. Epub 2011 Dec 21.
Stereotypes toward stuttering and people who stutter (PWS) are widespread in the general public irrespective of age, level of education, culture, geographic location and profession. Negative attitudes held by persons of authority like teachers can lead to social, economic and educational obstacles in the lives of PWS.
The current study used an Arabic translation of an adapted version of the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) to explore Arab teachers' knowledge and attitudes toward stuttering as well as strategies they adopt to cope with the problem in class. The participants were 262 in-service and 209 pre-service public school teachers in Kuwait. The results are contrasted to those of Arab parents in Kuwait reported earlier.
Although many of the teachers knew a person who stutters well and were sensitive in their interactions with PWS, major findings of this study suggest that many were misinformed about the causes of stuttering and held stereotypical views about PWS, comparable to those reported in the literature. Very few differences were noted between opinions of teachers who were still in training and those who were practicing for an average of 11 years.
The study underscores the need for awareness campaigns that target not only teachers who are currently working but also those still in training to dispel misconceptions about stuttering and ensure a better educational environment for PWS.
At the end of this activity the reader will be able to: (1) describe knowledge of stuttering and attitudes toward students who stutter and classroom strategies perceived to be helpful by pre-service and in-service teachers in Kuwait; (2) identify stereotypes toward stuttering across cultures, professions and geographic locations; and (3) list similarities and differences in attitude and knowledge of stuttering between parents and teachers.
无论年龄、教育水平、文化、地理位置和职业如何，公众中普遍存在对口吃和口吃者（PWS）的刻板印象。像教师这样的权威人士持有的负面态度会导致 PWS 生活中的社会、经济和教育障碍。
本研究使用阿拉伯语翻译的经过改编的公众对人类属性口吃（POSHA-S）的态度调查，来探讨阿拉伯教师对口吃的知识和态度，以及他们在课堂上采用的应对策略。参与者是科威特 262 名在职和 209 名职前公立学校教师。结果与之前报告的科威特阿拉伯家长的结果进行了对比。
尽管许多教师都认识一位口吃者，并在与 PWS 互动时很敏感，但本研究的主要发现表明，许多人对口吃的原因存在误解，并对口吃者持有刻板印象，这与文献中的报道相似。在接受调查的教师中，只有极少数人认为那些仍在接受培训的教师与那些已经从业 11 年的教师的观点存在差异。
该研究强调需要开展宣传活动，不仅针对目前在职的教师，还针对仍在接受培训的教师，以消除对口吃的误解，并为 PWS 提供更好的教育环境。
在本活动结束时，读者将能够：（1）描述科威特职前和在职教师对口吃者的知识和态度以及课堂策略的了解；（2）识别跨文化、职业和地理位置对口吃的刻板印象；（3）列出家长和教师对口吃的态度和知识的相似点和不同点。
