The Impact of Structured Cervical Auscultation Training on Speech-Language Pathology Students’ Knowledge, Confidence, & Skills

Date of Submission

Spring 2026

Document Type

Closed Research Project

Degree Name

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Department

Speech-Language Pathology

First Advisor

Maria Centeno-Vazquez, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S

Abstract

Background: The use of cervical auscultation (CA) as a potential tool for dysphagia screening has been explored in the literature; however, gaps remain in the standardization of training protocols and in the objective validation of acoustic signals relative to physiological swallowing events. This lack of consistency contributes to variability in clinical practice and reduced clinician confidence in the technique. Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the impact of a structured CA training protocol on speech-language pathology (SLP) graduate students’ confidence, knowledge, and skill performance. It was hypothesized that a structured training would positively impact these domains. Methods: A pretest–posttest design was implemented with SLP graduate students. Participants in Group B (n = 4 graduate student clinicians) completed a two-day structured training experience consisting of didactic instruction and hands-on practice using CA protocol. Pretest and posttest measures assessed confidence and knowledge, while skill acquisition was evaluated through hands-on application with Group A (n = 3 healthy adults). Outcome measures included Likert-scale ratings, true/false statements, multiple-choice questions, and adherence to protocol. Results: Skill-oriented measures revealed a mean accuracy of 74.97% (≈75%). Confidence and knowledge outcomes revealed a mean increase of 2.92 points on Likert-scale ratings and multiple-choice scores revealed a mean increase of 18.7%. True/false performance remained stable, suggesting relatively high baseline knowledge. Although no inferential statistical analyses were conducted due to the small sample size, trends indicated improvement across all measured domains. Conclusions: Structured cervical auscultation training positively impacted graduate students’ confidence, knowledge, and practical skill performance. Clinical Implications: Structured training of a CA protocol incorporated into graduate level SLP coursework stands to improve competency in the field of dysphagia assessment. Future research should utilize a larger sample size and strengthen objective validation measures to increase studies’ capacity for generalization and application.

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