Hearing impairment awareness in primary school teachers
Reviewed by Yovina Khiroya-Morjaria

Early intervention of hearing loss is crucial in school-age children to avoid delay in development of communication, cognition, language and social skills. Teachers play a crucial role in identification and support in cases of progressive or late-onset hearing loss. Using a questionnaire-based cross-sectional design with convenience sampling, 270 participants were recruited. The self-administered questionnaire assessed teachers’ awareness, knowledge and practices regarding various aspects of hearing loss. Although results revealed there was a good awareness and knowledge about otitis media, there were notable gaps in areas such as identification of hearing loss and working of amplification devices. There were also gaps in preventative measures and causes of congenital hearing loss. Factors such as training, location and school type did not appear to have any impact on awareness or knowledge. The findings of this study highlighted the need for targeted training and support for teachers, as well as potential future collaboration with audiologists. These initiatives would help create a more supportive learning environment for children with hearing impairment.

Awareness, knowledge, and practice among regular primary school teachers about hearing impairment.
Dsouza N, Ranjan R.
HEAR BALANC COMMUN
2024;22(3);71–8.