This study builds on an originating study conducted in 1996 by Anna E. Altmann, Ingrid Johnston, and Margaret Mackey, published in the article “Curriculum Decisions About Literature in Contemporary Classrooms: A Preliminary Analysis of a Survey of Materials Used in Edmonton Grade 10 English Courses” (1998). As the title suggests, the study surveyed the literature used in Grade 10 English Language Arts (ELA) courses in Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic schools.
Altmann et al.’s study was revisited in 2006 by Mackey et al. with a second, similar survey, to establish reliable data about the kinds of materials being used in Grade 10 ELA courses. This study asked about video (e.g., DVDs) and online materials (e.g., websites) as well as print.
Now, 25 years after the original study, we are seeking information from teachers to learn how the literature taught in grade 10 classes has changed or remained the same. Using an anonymous, invitation-only survey, we ask teachers to provide lists of the texts they are teaching in their Grade 10 ELA courses. We also ask a small number of broad background questions to allow us to generalize about the texts used with particular groups of students (such as International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement). The materials we are interested in include print, film, multimedia, and digital texts. From these data, and with the opportunity to look back over 25 years, we can evaluate trends and changes in the teaching of this core subject.
Returning to these questions after 25 years is important. The period since the original study has seen numerous changes in our society broadly and in education specifically. Without current data from teachers, researchers can only speculate about the texts that teachers prefer, the texts that are most effective with today’s students, and the prevalence of digital technologies in the study of English Language Arts. To gain a fuller sense of the Alberta context, we are reaching outside of Edmonton schools to capture data from teachers in the greater Edmonton metropolitan area and across north-central Alberta.
This study will close in June 2021. Our findings will be shared broadly in the months that follow. When the results of the 1996 and 2006 studies were compiled, participating teachers were keen to learn about the texts used by their colleagues. Many teachers used the findings as a way to refresh their teaching with new texts or to extend their teaching with new complementary materials. We hope the findings from this study will have similar positive outcomes for its participants.