Research into the Impact of Bikeability Training On Children's Ability to Percieve and Appropriately Respond to Hazards When Cycling on the Road
23 March 2015
This report was designed to test the hypothesis that Bikeability training improves a child’s ability to perceive and appropriately respond to on-road hazards faced by people who cycle.
Bikeability is the 'cycling proficiency' for the 21st century. There are three Bikeability levels, with Level 2 typically taken by children in years 5 or 6. The training takes place on local roads, providing children with opportunities to deal with traffic on short journeys such as cycling to school.
NFER developed an on-screen quiz to examine the impact of the Bikeability Level 2 training on children's ability to perceive and appropriately respond to on-road hazards. The research involved two groups of primary school children, one of which received the training and one which didn't, tracking them from the summer term, when they were in year 5, to the autumn term.
The methodology included an on-screen quiz taken at three time points (before and after training had taken place) and a cycling attitudes questionnaire.
Key Findings
- Children who participated in Bikeability Level 2 training scored significantly higher on the hazard perception and appropriate response quiz, after training, than children who had not received training.
- The effect of the Bikeability Level 2 training was unchanged when children re-took the quiz more than two months after training, suggesting that the effect of the training was sustained.
- Children who participated in training reported increased confidence when cycling on the road compared to their initial level of confidence.