Teachers’ Perspectives on the Impact of Cleft Lip and/or Palate During the School Years

Stock, Nicola Marie; Ridley, Matthew; Guest, Ella

Abstract

© 2018, American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. Background: Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) poses many challenges for those affected throughout the school years, with recent studies pointing to a trend in poor educational outcomes. Previous research has highlighted the important role that teachers play in supporting young people with chronic health conditions yet studies in the field of CL/P suggest that teachers may lack knowledge of the condition, and underestimate pupils’ academic ability. Qualitative investigation of the impact of CL/P from the teacher’s perspective may provide additional insight as well as potential suggestions for improving the school experience for affected pupils. Methods: Twenty UK preschool, primary, and secondary school teachers with experience of teaching pupils with CL/P completed an open-ended survey, eliciting qualitative data. Results: Qualitative content analysis was performed. Data were presented under 5 key headings: Knowledge of CL/P and its effects, perceived impact of CL/P on education, teachers’ training needs, delivery of training, and impact of CL/P on teachers. Teachers were able to identify a number of potential social, emotional, and treatment-related challenges within the school setting, yet did not believe that CL/P would have a long-term impact on pupils’ educational achievement. Participating teachers reported that cleft-specific training and access to relevant resources would be highly beneficial. Conclusions: Acting as a platform for future research, this exploratory study provides insight into the challenges faced by teachers and offers suggestions for how to improve teachers’ understanding of CL/P, and their confidence in dealing with cleft-related issues.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 27, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Apr 13, 2018
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jun 29, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 28, 2018
• Journal: Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal
• Print ISSN: 1055-6656
• Electronic ISSN: 1545-1569
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 56
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 204-209
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1055665618770191
• Keywords: cleft lip and palate, school, education, achievement, teacher, visible difference
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/852728
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/1055665618770191
• Additional Information: Additional Information : © 2019. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications
• Contract Date: Jul 20, 2017