JCPSLP Vol 23 No 3

Research design We selected a qualitative research study as we sought to

2021). Many experienced SLPs implementing telepractice literacy services during COVID-19 highlighted that they felt underprepared to use telepractice, and faced numerous challenges within a telepractice model, mostly relating to technology and family engagement (Furlong & Serry, under review). SLPs saw fewer clients overall during the COVID-19 lockdowns and most provided individual sessions only and reported cancellation of group sessions. For most SLPs, their usual assessment and intervention practices for literacy changed in a telepractice model (Furlong & Serry, under review). Across peak body organisations worldwide, SLPs are recognised as having an important role in the literacy domain. This is driven by the reciprocal and cyclical relationship that exists between oral language and learning to read (Catts et al., 2003; Serry & Levickis, 2020; Serry et al., 2021). There has been a push for SLPs to make major contributions for children with literacy learning difficulties, including within school settings; however, many practising SLPs report feeling underprepared by their university training to work in the literacy domain. A survey by Serry and Levickis (2020) indicated that while 95% of SLPs agreed they have a role in supporting children with literacy learning difficulties, only 10% agreed that they had left university with the expertise to do so. Limited satisfaction with both academic and clinical training in written language disorders was reported by most of the 599 SLP participants in a US survey by Blood and colleagues (2010). In New Zealand, survey findings from Wilson, McNeill and Gillon (2015) indicated that student SLPs’ understanding of literacy constructs, including how orthography maps to spoken language, was inadequate. SLP graduates’ confidence and preparedness to deliver literacy services, particularly in the context of a telepractice placement, is unknown. Student SLPs can provide insight into the relative importance of interpersonal, clinical, and professional skills in relation to telepractice literacy services, which can help inform the training that is required in undergraduate programs. Furthermore, SLP students may also provide insight into what pedagogical strategies best support their learning. Method Objectives This study explored the practicalities of student-led telepractice literacy services in Australia to understand whether these clinical placements were easily or conveniently done from the perspective of student clinicians, and whether they were able to be implemented successfully. We sought to explore SLP students’ perceptions and experiences of preparedness, participation, and implementation of telepractice literacy services.

understand students’ subjective experiences of participation in telepractice literacy services.

The study received ethics approval from the Australian Catholic University Human Ethics Committee (HREC 2020- 159E). Data collection A survey administered online via Qualtrics was chosen as the primary method of data collection. For the current study, survey questions were developed in consultation with SLP academics with expertise in literacy and telepractice. Feedback on wording, relevance, structure, content, number of questions and ease of completion was included in the final survey version. The survey wasn’t formally piloted by members of the target population. The online qualitative survey contained three sections: (a) demographic questions, (b) practicalities of the literacy telepractice placement, and (c) experiences of telepractice literacy service delivery. There was a total of 16 questions (Appendix A, available by contacting the author). Participants Participants were selected using purposive sampling. To be eligible, participants had to be currently studying to become an SLP or have completed their final year of study to become an SLP at an Australian university in 2020; and have completed a placement experience where they saw at least one client for assessment and/or intervention for literacy via telepractice. The research participation opportunity was advertised via social media platforms and Speech Pathology Australia communications. Course/ student placement coordinators at 14 Australian universities were invited to advertise the research participation opportunity. The survey was open for 13 weeks. Seventeen people commenced the survey but only eight completed it. These eight responses resulted in 11 pages of data. Participant details are provided in Table 1. Data analysis A six-step process of reflexive thematic analysis was used by the first author to examine the survey data (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2019). Results Thematic analysis identified three main themes in the data: (a) usual practices for literacy were modified in a telepractice environment; (b) a heightened focus on communication skills in a telepractice environment; and (c) preparedness for telepractice literacy placements was mostly facilitated by practical learning opportunities with peers and supervisors. These three themes, with illustrative data extracts, are described below.

Kerry Ttofari Eecen (top) and Sharon Crosbie

Table 1: Participant characteristics

State

Degree type

Current status

Duration of placement

Practice context*

Victoria

4 Bachelor:

5 New graduate:

3

≤ 20 days:

3 Primary school

5

Queensland

2 Masters:

3 Year 4 student:

3 21–30 days

3 Private practice

3

Western Australia

1

Year 2 student:

2 More than 30 days

1 Outpatient clinic

1

South Australia

1

Placement in progress

1

* Some student SLPs were in more than one practice context

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JCPSLP Volume 23, Number 3 2021

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