Student Travel Survey
Purpose:
To gain an understanding about which travel modes students are using to journey to and from school.
Description:
| A Student Travel Survey is a quick and simple survey conducted in the classroom once every school day for one week. Students are asked two questions: ‘How did you travel to school this morning?’ and ‘How will you travel home this afternoon?’. As the teacher reads out each travel mode — walk, bike, roll, school bus, public transit, and car — students indicate which mode they used by raising their hand.
The survey findings show which travel modes are the most popular at the school, and help to see whether as many students are walking, or taking the school bus, as might be expected. By repeating the survey (e.g. once or twice per school year) comparison of results can show whether travel behaviours are changing. The survey is usually led by a teacher, but is also a great opportunity for older students to demonstrate leadership by helping to conduct the survey, record the responses, and tally the results for their class or for the whole school. Analysis of the survey results can be linked to the math curriculum as part of a Classroom Lesson, and the findings can be communicated to the whole school through announcements, bulletin boards and assemblies. |
What you will need:
Students, teachers, survey tools (see Resources below).
Help:
School administrators, teachers, students, school travel planner/facilitator, public health nurse.
Resources:
| Survey templates and guidance are available in the “Canadian School Travel Planning Toolkit – Phase 2” by Green Communities Canada: – Paper Survey Sheet and Data Entry Tool – Online Survey Tool Instructions An online version of the Student Travel Survey is available at BikeWalkRoll. BikeWalkRoll is a quick, easy, and engaging online survey tool designed to be used by teachers in the classroom using a laptop or tablet. |
