How Literacy Coursework May Change the Perspectives of Preservice Speech-Language Pathologists: A Pilot Study

This pilot study investigated how perspectives of preservice speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may change after completion of a graduate course in literacy in a Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) program. Further, the study sought to reflect upon course design and instructional delivery practices related to the class. Data was collected via online survey completed by 21 volunteer CSD graduate students. The results suggested that students' perspectives may evolve over the course of a semester-long CSD literacy class in some areas related to the components of reading, misconceptions about literacy, and the social justice implications of access to quality reading programs. Using active learning strategies and embedding content about viewing reading as a social justice issue appeared to add value to the classroom experience. This study aims to add to the body of literature to suggest that deliberately planned and consciously designed literacy coursework that focuses on preservice SLPs may be an effective way to promote change in their perspectives with the ultimate goal of increasing inservice school-based SLPs’ engagement with literacy in the children they serve.