Gillian Robinson winner of the Alberta Teachers' Association's 2025 Education Research Award

Professor Gillian Robinson

The University of Alberta's Campus Saint-Jean is proud to announce that Assistant Professor Gillian Robinson has received the prestigious 2025 Education Research Award from the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA). This award recognises her comprehensive study on the impact of recent provincial policies on teachers' daily lives and student safety.

The project, conducted in collaboration with researchers and teachers Joelle Tymchuk and Megan Girard, is entitled Back-to-school Culture of Fear: Research Report on the Implementation of Alberta’s Bill 27, Bill 29 and Ministerial Order 030/2025". This research documents how Bill 27 (amending the Education Act) and Ministerial Order 030/2025 have transformed the educational landscape in Alberta since the autumn of 2024.

The study is based on in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in September 2025 with 30 teaching staff from various regions of Alberta. The findings of the report, which was cited during debates in the Alberta Legislative Assembly, reveal a severely affected school climate:

• A feeling of professional insecurity: teaching staff report feeling deeply uncomfortable with the obligation to disclose pupils' gender identity to their parents or to deliberately misgender pupils in order to comply with the law.
• Impact on vulnerable pupils: a significant decrease in participation in gender and sexuality alliances (AGS/GSA) was observed, with pupils fearing they would be 'reported' or targeted by increased hostility.
• Overwork and a diversion from their core mission: instead of preparing for the new school year, teachers had to spend hundreds of hours auditing classroom libraries and interpreting vague administrative guidelines related to "privacy" and sexually explicit material.
• A climate of mistrust: the study highlights growing mistrust between school staff, the administration and certain sections of the community, exacerbated by mandatory 'opt-out' and 'opt-in' policies for certain subjects.

Professor Robinson's report does not stop at observations; it also offers recommendations. These recommendations aim to equip school administrators and teachers with the tools they need to maintain safe and inclusive learning environments despite current legislative constraints.

"It is an incredible honour to be recognised by my peers for this research," said Gillian Robinson, former advisor to a Gender and sexuality alliance (GSA). "My hope is that this work will serve as a lever to amplify the voices of teachers who are fighting to keep schools welcoming places for everyone, even in a context of underfunding and political divisions."

Awarded annually, the ATA Education Research Award honours Alberta academics whose work is directly related to classroom practice and the well-being of education professionals in the province.

The Dean of the Campus Saint-Jean, Professor Jason Carey, emphasised the importance of this distinction for the institution:

"Campus  Saint-Jean is delighted to see Professor Robinson's rigorous work honoured by the Alberta Teachers' Association. By tackling complex contemporary issues such as the impact of legislative policies on the school climate, Gillian Robinson demonstrates the essential role of university research in supporting our teachers and protecting the well-being of all students. This recognition is a testament to the excellence of our faculty and our Faculty's unwavering commitment to inclusive, safe and equitable education for the entire Alberta community."

• Link to Professor Gillian Robinson’s report.
• Link to the ATA website