Views from a School Bus Window: Stories of the Children Who Ride
VIEWS FROM A SCHOOL BUS WINDOW: STORIES OF THE CHILDREN WHO RIDE LORRAINE ROBBINS B.Ed., University of Lethbridge, 1978 A Project Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Lethbridge in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF EDUCATION LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA February 2004 Dedication This project is dedicated to the rural children who ride school buses and to the students who I was able to interview. I thank them and their families for their help and support, and I hope that by writing their stories, a difference will be made to the rides that they will take everyday in the future. in Abstract Everyday, hundreds of students in rural areas of Alberta and other parts of Canada start their day by boarding a big yellow school bus, the vehicle that transports them to and from school. For them, their school day begins and ends with a bus ride. For many, the ride is lengthy. This study presents qualitative research that forms a profile of what concerns students about their bus rides. 62 children from ages 5 to 18 were interviewed to determine what they thought about riding the school bus and what social, psychological and intellectual implications exist for these children. Seven major themes emerged through the interviews: boredom, safety, relationships, community bonding, student behaviour and attitudes, medical concerns, and student responsibilities. Writing their stories, and stories from my memories of riding the bus, is part of the action research involved in this project; a textual reflection on lived experiences.
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