Parental Rights, Teachers' Professional Autonomy, And Contested Pedagogy Under The Alberta Human Rights Act

Under Section 11.1 of The Alberta Human Rights Act (2009), teachers are required to give prior written notice to parents when the subject matters of religion, human sexuality and sexual orientation are primarily and explicitly addressed in class. In light of this legislation, the intent of this initial one-year research project is to examine the policies and procedures of a particular school district's compliance with Section 11.1. Specifically, this article examines: To what extent has Section 11.1 changed teachers' pedagogical practices? As such, this article has two primary objectives: firstly, to provide an overview of the background leading up to the legislation and, secondly, to report the legislation's impact on teachers' pedagogical practices. This article argues that teachers' internalization of the legislation has had varying effects on their teaching practice and professional autonomy. This study will be expanded to consider the legislation's effects on curricular practice across the Province of Alberta.