School teachers' knowledge and attitudes towards dyslexia: A cross-sectional study

Background: Learning disabilities are among the most socially and academically debilitating issues faced by school-aged children. Teachers play a crucial role in teaching children the fundamentals of reading and writing; therefore, they have a considerable advantage in detecting learning disabilities in children. The aim of the study was to explore schoolteachers’ levels of awareness and attitudes toward dyslexia in children. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to teachers through social media and the school administration. It has 39 questions in three sections: 14 demographic, 14 knowledge, and 11 attitudes toward students with dyslexia. Good knowledge was defined as a score above 7 out of 14 in the knowledge section. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS software. Results: In total, 250 responses were obtained. Of these, 151 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Those teachers achieved a mean score of 5.6 out of 14 knowledge questions. One hundred and twenty-eight teachers (84.7%) showed poor knowledge, whereas 23 teachers (15.25%) displayed good knowledge about dyslexia. Most of the teachers achieved poor scores despite 59 (39.1%) receiving prior training in dyslexia, either as educational courses or seminars. Teachers’ knowledge of dyslexia was not significantly associated with years of experience, age, degree of qualification, or level of teaching. Conclusion: Most schoolteachers were unaware of dyslexia, its consequences, and its management. More awareness needs to be raised among schoolteachers to enable early detection and intervention and to create an equitable and inclusive learning environment.