Values and attitudes of primary school learners towards traffic safety and traffic safety education

Abstract

The main aim of the study was to determine values and attitudes of primary school learners towards traffic safety and traffic safety education. The role played by parents and teachers in developing positive values and attitudes towards traffic safety and traffic safety education was determined. It was important to find out what can be done by parents and school to teach traffic safety education to learners. Key concepts like values, attitudes, traffic, safety and. education are discussed in details in this study. A group of learners was selected from fifteen primary schools in Potchefstroom to conduct this study. The main aim was to determine their values and attitudes towards traffic safety and traffic safety education. A questionnaire was developed whereby learners, their parents and their teachers had to fill it out in order to reach the objectives of this study. From the response of learners, it was evident that learners really value their safety and that it is important for them to be safe road users. They even showed interest in including road safety education in their school curriculum. The school and parents also showed interest in traffic safety education being included in their children's school curriculum. They even opted to help teaching their children. The response of the learners, teachers and parents was positive and this indicated how possible it can be to implement/teach traffic safety education in schools. The study was successful and it is hoped that the teachers can use it to their own benefit and to the benefit of their learners.