Townsville Showcase
Minimizing Road Trauma: An Action Research Project - William Ross State High School
- Background
- What is different about this case study that shows how Government, Industry and Communities can better engage with each other?
- What are the key outcomes of the case study for Government, Industry and community?
- What are the key learnings/insights about community engagement?
- What will sustain community engagement into the future in this case study?
Background
William Ross State High School's Senior Geography Composite Class has been studying Social Environments, particularly the issue of road trauma in Townsville and its economic, political, social and environmental impacts using action research processes. Five main roads connect 5 schools in Annandale. The area within this road network has been identified as a potential hot spot for road trauma, by the Department of Transport and the Queensland Police Service. Between the hours of 8 and 9 am and 3 and 4 pm traffic builds up in the area and there are concerns for the safety of pedestrians, bike riders and motorists.
The action research project involved students collecting data for analysis from the Department of Transport (Metrocount), Queensland Police (WebCrash) and the Townsville City Council (GIS data, aerial photography, property boundaries, signage etc). It also involved students interpreting survey data and recorded observations of the area during school drop off and pick up times. From this analysis students developed three options to help reduce the possibility of road trauma in the area. They evaluated those options using established criteria to decide which required the most immediate attention. Recommendations were presented to relevant community members for implementation.
What is different about this case study that shows how Government, Industry and Communities can better engage with each other?
This project involved the local community and agencies engaging with students to identify a problem that needed attention. The community provided students with access to relevant data and the connections to implement recommendations. This project was dependent on the support of external agencies including: James Cook University, Department of Transport, Queensland Police, Townsville City Council, private and public schools in the Annandale area and the Northern Road Safety Committee.
As a result of the relationships built, students were invited to participate in the Queensland Transport Northern Regional Road Safety Forum. Students participated in the forum with a range of representatives from State and Local Government, community, business and higher education organizations observing how decisions were made and establishing networks. Students were pleased that their contributions to the forum were taken very seriously. This forum sparked the idea to present their findings to relevant community members in the future.
Students subsequently invited the organizations that were represented at the road safety forum, the five school principals, the local members of parliament and educational advisors for the state and private education systems to their own forum. Students presented a slideshow describing their project and outlined the findings and recommendations.
What are the key outcomes of the case study for Government, Industry and community?
For Schools
The goals of State Education as outlined in the following quote have been achieved by this project.
'All Students should experience relevant, inclusive, innovative, flexible and intellectually challenging learning experiences ..... The ultimate school experience should include students leaving school feeling that they have made a worthwhile contribution not only to the school but also to the community.'
This project has created links with many relevant community and business organisations including the university, relevant Government bodies including Education Queensland, Main Roads, Townsville City Council, Members of Parliament and private schools and raised the school's profile in the community.
For Industry and the community
- The creation of links with the school for data gathering/networking opportunities in the future.
- The provision of research opportunities for James Cook University which tracked changes in behaviour and attitude which resulted from this project.
- Advertising opportunities eg. Award entries such as the Queensland Road Safety Awards 2003, RACQ Future Leaders Award.
- The development of two relevant and achievable recommendations regarding road safety education and improvement in infrastructure to minimize road trauma in the area.
For students
- Students created some very important relationships with community members throughout this project and have been invited to study other important topics in the future. It seems that now there is a link where the community is saying 'this is what we need' and the students are being given the opportunity to help.
- Student results improved and the quality of student work improved.
- Student's ability to analyse data, make decisions and use ICTS improved.
- Students were very proud of their personal achievements especially in light of positive community feedback.
- Students have shown a commitment to considering and implementing road safety strategies.
- Young people came to realize that their opinions were valued and felt empowered by their participation.
What are the key learnings/insights about community engagement?
In general it is evident that the interaction between community and schools is most beneficial for both parties. It opens up new opportunities for relevant learning experiences. It establishes contacts and resources and if the interaction is positive, creates links for students leaving school and entering the workforce. Learnings include:
- Students are able to apply skills and processes learnt in class and engage with their community to apply them through action research, to explore community issues.
- There are many opportunities for young people to engage with their community through school-based tasks such as writing letters to obtain access to data, participating in decision making and presenting the results of assessment/research tasks within their school and the boarder community.
- Community engagement provides opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills.
- Teaching subjects in an engaged way can make them seem more relevant and useful. Students were keen, interested, and motivated by the whole experience and showed great initiative when it came to organising what to do.
- Students have gained confidence and have shown improvements in communication skills at many levels; written, verbal and technological.
- The community was very willing assist students.
What will sustain community engagement into the future in this case study?
The relationships that were created can be sustained by:
- Advertising the excellence of State Schools to build confidence for further engagement.
- Promoting the achievement and positive experiences of students to encourage others and to promote life long learning.
- Creating new relationships and contacts with other Government Departments and ensuring open communication so that members of the community and government agencies can call upon students to provide assistance with research projects.
- Creating new relationships with local businesses which showcase the strengths of the education system and its students and support the development of employment opportunities for young people.
- Advertising the project will lead to a better understanding of the relationships between schools and the community.
- New relationships with the community allow open communication which can result in the initiation of other relevant projects.
- Entering competitions to highlight the importance and excellence of working with community groups will encourage more engaged teaching and learning within schools.
Other languages