The Alberta Teachers’ Association

The following publications are available from the Alberta Teachers’ Association. For more information, visit the ATA website (www.teachers.ab.ca) and click on Publications and then click on Research Updates, Current.

The New Work of Teaching: A Case Study of the Worklife of Calgary Public Teachers
An ATA Research Update: February 2012
In the spring of 2011, 20 Calgary Public teachers kept detailed diaries for a one-week period on how they spent their time. In addition to reporting on the results of that study, this document includes a review of recent literature on maintaining a work–life balance. (PD-86-23 2012, 24 pages)

Substitute Teachers in Alberta: A Research Report
An ATA Research Update: October 2011
This document analyzes the results of a 2010 on-line survey of substitute teachers that the ATA undertook with research assistance from the University of Alberta. The study, a follow-up to one conducted in 2008, seeks to identify the unique challenges that substitute teachers encounter on a daily basis and to suggest potential solutions. (PD-86-22 2011, 35 pages)

Impact of Digital Technologies on Teachers Working in Flexible Learning Environments
An ATA Research Update: March 2011
This study, the largest of its kind in Canada to date, explores the ways in which the flexible timing and pacing of instruction affects the conditions of professional practice of teachers. (PD-86-21 2011, 44 pages)

The Future of Teaching in Alberta
An ATA Research Update: March 2011
Based on focus group discussions with teachers and a review of current trends in education, this publication examines the future of teaching in Alberta over the next 20 years in terms of what is possible, what is probable and what is preferred. (PD-86-20 2011, 42 pages)

The Early Years of Practice: Interim Report of a Five-Year Study of Beginning Teachers in Alberta
An ATA Research Update: February 2011
This publication summarizes the findings at the end of Year 3 of a five-year study that is tracking the experiences of a cohort of 135 Alberta teachers who began teaching in 2007. (PD-86-19 2011, 40 pages)

The Courage to Choose: Emerging Trends and Strategic Possibilities for Informed Transformation in Alberta Schools: 2010-2011
An ATA Research Update: Fall 2010
This publication attempts to answer the question: “What kind of society do we want to create in Alberta and what kind of teaching and learning will get us there?” (PD-86-11c 2010, 56 pages)

Professional Learning for Informed Transformation: The 2010 Professional Development Survey
An ATA Research Update: November 2010
This publication presents the results of a survey that the Association conducted in 2010 on the professional development opportunities available to teachers in Alberta. (PD-86-18 2010, 36 pages)

Using Technology to Support Real Learning First in Alberta Schools
An ATA Research Update: May 2010
This monograph examines the ideologies behind digital technology in schools. It includes a look at the changes that have resulted from the Alberta government’s investment of $1.5 billion in technology over the last fifteen years and identifies ways to transform education. (PD-86-17 2010, 40 pages)

Evaluating the School Principal: A Professional Model for Enhancing the Leadership Practices of Alberta's School Administrators
An ATA Research Update: February 2010
This publication is the result of a two-year research project that field-tested the ATA’s model policy on the professional growth, supervision and evaluation of school administrators. It details the steps taken in the project and describes five general principles school boards should follow in implementing the Principal Quality Practice Guideline. (PD-86-16 2010, 23 pages)

The Experience of Substitute Teaching in Alberta Schools
An ATA Research Update: February 2010
This document analyses the results of a 2008 on-line survey of teachers undertaken by the ATA with research assistance from the University of Alberta. The study identifies and discusses the challenges and rewards of substitute teaching and seeks to instill a deeper appreciation in stakeholders of the vital role played by substitute teachers in Alberta’s education system. (PD-86-15 2010, 24 pages)