Abstract Book of the 9th World Conference on Social Sciences
Year: 2025
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Acceptance And Perception of School Teachers and Health Professionals Toward the Facial Appearance of a Thai Child with Repaired Cleft Lip
Jelson Aberin, Patimaporn Pungchanchaikul, Araya Pisek, Supawich Morkmued
ABSTRACT:
School teachers are among those who have a close relationship with a child from an early formative age and help them foster their self-esteem. The teacher’s perception of a child’s appearance can influence their behavior toward the student.
Objective: To evaluate the acceptance and perception among school teachers toward the facial appearance of a school-aged child with a repaired cleft lip (CL) compared with that of health professionals.
Design: This observational cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at the Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University Dental Hospital, Tawanchai Cleft Center, as well as in private and public schools in Khon Kaen District, Thailand.
Methods: A facial photograph of a child with repaired unilateral CL was generated. The level of acceptance and perception was collected using validated, structured questionnaires. Data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Result: A group of 82 health professionals and 82 school teachers were invited to participate in this study. There was no significant difference between the groups in the acceptance score. The school teacher group had a higher mean perceived perception score (19.0 ± 2.3) than that of the health professionals (17.9 ± 2.8) (p = 0.005). School teachers in urban areas rated facial acceptance significantly differently from those in rural areas.
Conclusion: Despite a comparable level of acceptance of the aesthetic of the facial photograph, school teachers and health professionals had a similar level of acceptance toward the aesthetic of a child with repaired unilateral CL. However, school teachers rated their perception higher than that of health professionals, which mirrors empathy and is essential for reducing student misconceptions. Teachers with better social perception can take a third-person perspective, which helps them understand their students’ needs more effectively.
Keywords: Facial Appearance, Unilateral Cleft Lip, School Teachers, Social Acceptance, Social Perception