This study examined perspectives of the trip to/from school and travel mode choice among parents who differed in socio-economic status (SES), and whose children attended schools located in different areas (i.e., urban vs. inner-suburban) across Toronto. Thirty-seven parents (20 active and 17 non-active travelers) of grade four to six students from four elementary schools (capturing diversity with respect to built environment and SES) participated in qualitative interviews after taking photos of their trip to/from school. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis linking the text and visual data. School travel was a habitual behaviour involving a 2-step parental decision-making process; these decisions were influenced by different factors. While escort decisions were dictated by safety concerns, the behavioural cost and reinforcing value of travel mode alternatives dictated mode choice. Strategies addressing these behavioural cost and reinforcing value factors may be helpful in making walking to/from school the quickest and most convenient choice.

This study examined perspectives of the trip to/from school and travel mode choice among parents who differed in socio-economic status (SES), and whose children attended schools located in different areas (i.e., urban vs. inner-suburban) across Toronto. Thirty-seven parents (20 active and 17 non-active travelers) of grade four to six students from four elementary schools (capturing diversity with respect to built environment and SES) participated in qualitative interviews after taking photos of their trip to/from school. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis linking the text and visual data. School travel was a habitual behaviour involving a 2-step parental decision-making process; these decisions were influenced by different factors. While escort decisions were dictated by safety concerns, the behavioural cost and reinforcing value of travel mode alternatives dictated mode choice. Strategies addressing these behavioural cost and reinforcing value factors may be helpful in making walking to/from school the quickest and most convenient choice.

Det finns evidens som bekräftar fördelarna med att barn ägnar sig åt aktiva skoltransporter(AST). Trots detta har andelen barn som ägnar sig åt AST radikalt minskat under de senasteårtiondena. Vårdnadshavare är de som fattar beslut gällande sina barn, vilket skulle kunna spela en viktig roll när det kommer till AST, då deras attityder gentemot detta kan påverka huruvida barnet ägnar sig åt AST eller inte. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka de attityder vårdnadshavare till barn i årskurs 1–6, boende i ett arktiskt klimat har till aktiva skoltransporter. Studien utgick från ett befintligt projekt som ämnade att främja AST i en kommun i norra Sverige och utfördes med en kvalitativ metod och deskriptiv design för att besvara syftet. Datainsamlingen bestod av individuella intervjuer tillsammans med sex deltagare. Intervjuerna utfördes utifrån en förberedd intervjuguide och frågeställningarna utgick ifrån theory of planned behavior. En manifest analys av den insamlade datan gjordes genom fem steg, vilket resulterade i att en huvudkategori växte fram, Rörelse – en gemensam målsättning, samt tre underkategorier; Ett hållbart liv (1), Olika former av trygghet (2), Inre och yttre påverkan (3). Resultatet indikerar att vårdnadshavare anser att en hållbar vardag, hälsa och miljö är viktigt samt att olika former av trygghet värderas högt och kan påverkas av en rad olika faktorer. Resultatet indikerar att vårdnadshavares egna erfarenheter påverkar inställningen till AST samt att uppfattningar av omgivningens värderingar och normer gällande AST på ett omedvetet plan kan ha inflytande på den egna inställningen till skoltransportens genomförande. Hälsopromotiva insatser som ökar andelen barn som ägnar sig åt AST kan vara en del i skapandet av normer som resulterar i att andelen transporter med bil minskar. Vilket utöver att den fysiska aktiviteten ökar också skulle gynna miljön och skapa tryggare skolvägar. / There is evidence to confirm the benefits of children engaging in active school transportation (AST). Despite this, the proportion of children engaged in AST has radically decreased in recent decades. Guardians are the ones who make decisions regarding their children, which could play an important role when it comes to AST, as their attitudes towards AST can affect whether the child engages in AST or not. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes towards active school transportation among guardians of children in grades 1-6, living in an arctic climate. The study was based on an existing project that aimed to promote AST in a municipality in northern Sweden and was performed with a qualitative method and descriptive design to answer the purpose. The data collection consisted of individual interviews together with six participants. The interviews were conducted from a prepared interview guide and the questions were based on the theory of planned behavior. A manifest analysis of the collected data was done through five steps, which resulted in a main category: Movement - a common goal, and three subcategories; A sustainable life (1), Different forms of safety (2), Internal and external influences (3). The results indicate that guardians believe that a sustainable everyday life, health and environment are important and that various forms of safety are highly valued and can be affected by several different factors. The results indicatethat the guardian's own experiences affect their attitude towards AST, and that the perceptions of the environment's values and norms regarding AST on an unconscious level can have an influence on the guardian's own attitude to the implementation of school transport. Health-promoting initiatives that increase the proportion of children who engage in AST can be a part of the establishing of norms that result in a reduction of the proportion of transport by car. Which in addition to increasing physical activity would also benefit the environment and create safer school roads.