In spring 2011 Ofsted conducted a survey of good practice in science in general further education and sixth form colleges in England. Inspectors visited 15 college science departments to observe teaching and learning and evaluate the quality of provision and departmental leadership and management.

This...

This resource sets out the knowledge, skills and understanding that trainee teachers will need in order to be able to manage their students’ behaviour. Effective teacher training incorporates activities and teaching that leads to these outcomes and prepares trainees to manage behaviour confidently and with...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this series of resources provide interactive and lively theory sessions for science lessons. Originally produced in the form of CD-Roms and DVDs, the resources can be viewed online. They are intended to stimulate discussion about teaching and learning...

This paper, published to coincide with Science and Engineering Week 2013, presents evidence from research carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to explore how to encourage further engagement in, and take-up of, STEM subjects. It discusses why STEM education is important and looks at...

The Wellcome Trust commissioned the research reported here with two aims: to develop a greater understanding of science teacher retention; and to test whether there is any link between subject specific CPD delivered by the National STEM Learning Network and likelihood to stay in the profession.

The research...

A Catalyst article about in vitro fertilisation. About one in six couples gets help from specialists because they cannot conceive. One possibility is to use in vitro fertilisation (IVF). ‘In vitro’ means ‘in glass’ and refers to the fact that fertilisation takes place in a laboratory dish or test tube, hence the...

This Catalyst article describes how the human body is affected by low atmospheric pressure at high altitudes. The article looks at the dangers that await the unwary traveller and explains how, if people understand their bodies, they can avoid the worst problems of life at high altitudes.

This article is from...

This Catalyst article explains how in nature, bioamplification causes substances to become more concentrated as they move from eater to eaten along a food chain. This sequence occurs in relation to the concentration of pesticides like DDT along a food chain, and causes problems for those animals, like birds of prey...

This in-service training pack, from the Centre for Science Education, was developed to help subject leaders to make effective use of the Engineering a Better World resources. The aims of the pack are to:

*enable leading teachers to develop their team's experience and expertise when integrating engineering...

From The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), this guide aims to help schools and science-based companies make the best use of their opportunities to liaise together. It concentrates upon using link activities to enrich aspects of the school science curriculum but there are many principles in the...

Influenza or flu is a common viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. This resource, from the Microbiology Society, gives an overview of the disease, how the infection is transmitted, infection, replication of the virus inside the body, the immune response and how vaccines are developed. It also explores the...

A Catalyst article describing how the VISTA telescope, which is located in Chile, works. It detects infrared radiation - electromagnetic radiation beyond the red end of the spectrum. This has two great benefits:

*The telescope can detect radiation from distant stars which are otherwise hidden behind clouds...

This resource is based on the Inventive podcast. The podcast mixes engineering fact with fiction. Each podcast features an interview with an engineer. In this activity, electrical engineer Jack Howarth is the inspiration for poet Katrina Porteous to write 'Ingenious'.

Short audio clips about the engineer...