Understanding decision-making associated with children being driven to school and moving toward active school travel. A theory-informed qualitative study

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2017-07-13
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en
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This study provides insight into decision-making process around driving children to/from the school, by looking at the case of Cardiff (the UK), in an effort to inform recommendations for AST promotion. A qualitative approach is chosen in this study, referring to both the Theoretical Domains Framework and Three-Elements Model of Social Practices Theory, from both an individual's and social practices' perspectives to explore the driving decision for school journeys. From individual’s perspective, this study reaffirms that there is a complex interplay of factors influencing on parents’ school travel decision. Those factors, incorporating individual and household, physical and social environment levels, determine driving as the most convenience, safety, and comfortable way for school journeys. Besides, this study also finds that parents’ decision about school travel transports is highly related to a broader society, rather than solely a personal choice. The escalating “norms” and “meanings” surrounding convenience, safety and comfort have made driving, rather than AST, as an intrinsic requirement and necessity in the current society. Even, those socially shared meanings play as internal dynamics to maintain and stabilize this kind of society practices, i.e., driving, instead of active school commuting. Hence, this study provides an alternative way to consider AST promotion and highlights the needs in a whole-system solution at a society level, rather than the prevailing individualist approaches aiming at individuals’ behavior modification.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen