Knowledge and attitudes of school teachers toward hearing problems with students in general elementary schools in Makkah, 2019

Background: Schoolteachers can play a significant role in maintaining and improving student's health. Hearing loss causes delays in speech and language, which often result in poor school performance. Objectives: To identify the level of knowledge and attitude of elementary school teachers in Makkah toward hearing problems in children in the classroom setting. Subjects and methods: Analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2019 to December 2019 among 390 of elementary schoolteachers working in governmental schools, in Makkah. Self-administered Arabic questionnaire was used. It includes demographic and professional criteria, knowledge of teachers regarding children with hearing problems and their attitudes towards children with hearing problems. Results: The study included 390 teachers. Their age ranged from 26 to 60. Only 4.9% expressed good level of knowledge about hearing problems. Younger, lowest income, more qualified teachers, computer sciences and special education teachers, those having a degree in special education, lower experienced, had <= 20 students in a class, teaching students with hearing problems, who had currently students with hearing problems, and had currently students using hearing aids were more knowledgeable about children's hearing problems compared to their counterparts. Overall, 14.6% of teachers had positive attitude towards children with hearing problems. The most obstacles the teachers feel that the students with hearing loss may suffer in classroom were bullying/ignorance, communications, and educational process. Most of the teachers recommended -as the most appropriate educational placement for DHH students-residential institute and special schools for deaf students. Conclusion: Knowledge and attitude of elementary school teachers in Makkah regarding hearing problems was mostly poor-intermediate.