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By Justin Goulet

Albertans voice priorities for new social studies curriculum in survey

Dec 14, 2023 | 3:12 PM

EDMONTON, AB – A survey by Alberta Education showed that residents are hoping for a stronger focus on history and global events in the new social studies curriculum.

Almost 13,000 questionnaires were completed by Albertans from September 18 to October 16, 2023.

The survey gave residents an opportunity to provide feedback on what the new social studies curriculum should look like. Results found that Albertans want students to develop critical thinking skills and want them to understand local, Canadian and global events, as well as learn about global and national history.

Minister of Education, Demetrios Nicolaides said, “This information will be used to help guide the development of the new curriculum.”

He added, “I’m confident that a new social studies curriculum will teach students the important events of the past while equipping them with the critical thinking skills they need to make informed decisions.”

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The survey included four questions highlighting different aspects of the social studies curriculum and asked respondents to rank a series of answers based on level of importance. Leger summarized the results in a report. Some of the findings included:

• That Albertans want Canadian history and culture to have a focus on:
  • The structure of local provincial and federal governments
  • Early settlement and exploration
  • First Nations, Métis and Inuit culture, history and traditions
• That Albertans believe students should learn about world history and global issues, such as:
  • Human rights
  • Trade and the global economy
  • Legacies of ancient civilizations
• That history was the most frequently mentioned topic regarding the curriculum, with respondents believing students should be taught both Canadian and general history.

Over 5,000 Albertans provided additional input via an open-ended question in the survey. The province said the most common feedback was related to effective teaching methods and processes, as well as a need for curriculum content to be fact-based, non-partisan and developmentally and age-appropriate.

Until the end of January, 2024, Alberta Education will continue to work with community and education partners, curriculum development specialists and teachers. Input from these meetings and the public survey will be used to fine tune the draft social studies curriculum before it is released publicly for more feedback in early 2024.

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