Education Research | Alberta Teachers' Association

2026

Teaching in Tension: Work, Well-Being and Sustainability in Alberta's School

This study compares findings from the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024 with Alberta Teachers’ Association research conducted since 2020. Drawing on the experiences of thousands of Alberta teachers and school leaders, the report examines workload intensification, emotional labour, stress, classroom complexity, and teacher attrition, while also highlighting the relational strengths that sustain public education. Together, the findings provide evidence-informed insight into the conditions shaping the well-being of educators and the long-term sustainability of Alberta’s public education system.

A Polycrisis: Class Size and Complexity in an Education System Under Duress

The ATA’s fall 2025 Pulse (rapid research) study provides a comprehensive snapshot of the pressures facing Alberta’s teachers and school leaders, structured across four nested levels. The findings reveal a teaching profession under extraordinary stress, and one that has been in an extended period of moral distress.

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Defining Classroom Complexity in Alberta

2025

Literacy and Numeracy Screeners, Classroom Conditions, Cellphone Bans and AI in Alberta’s K–12 Schools

This ATA research report presents findings from a study focused on the impact of literacy and numeracy screeners on elementary students, the effects of Alberta’s cellphone prohibition in schools and the integration of artificial intelligence in education.

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Alberta Students: More than Numbers
Artificial Intelligence in Education
A Return to the Art of Conversation

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Class Size Matters—Research Brief

This ATA research brief summarizes the numerous advantages that smaller class sizes bring to students, teachers and education systems.

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Beyond Capacity: Large Class Sizes & Complex Needs in Alberta School

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Exiting the Teaching Profession 2024: Qualitative Research Findings and Actionable Opportunities

This research report presents the results of in-depth interviews with Alberta teachers who have left—or are considering leaving—the profession. This report explores the emotional and professional factors influencing teacher attrition, including issues of workload, dehumanization, accountability, and a loss of hope. It also highlights areas where immediate action could help mitigate these challenges and provides evidence-informed recommendations to support teachers, strengthen conditions of practice, and protect the future of public education in Alberta

2024

Exiting the Teaching Profession in Alberta

This study provides an in-depth analysis of the factors driving teachers to leave their profession in Alberta, capturing the voices of those who exited or are contemplating leaving teaching.