Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service, these materials help to demonstrate effective practice. By Cambridge Regional College, this case study looks at the themes of functional skills, equality, engineering and mathematics.

The aim of the project was to work with staff to raise awareness of the...

Produced by LSIS, this report and associated materials describe a research programme aimed at supporting and disseminating effective practical work in further education science classrooms. This report summarises the key findings from action research projects carried out...

This publication, from Warwick University, reports on the STEM Careers Awareness Timeline Pilot. The Timeline project seeks to establish how schools can embed a more systematic programme of careers awareness into the existing subject curriculum. The report gives emerging findings from working with stakeholders and...

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of curriculum development. From the Isle of Wight College, it shows how the explicit embedding of science into a vocational qualification helps to develop an appreciation of the role of science in construction. The...

This collaborative project by the Royal Statistical Society and the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education presents findings from an analysis of statistics in five recently reformed A levels in England. The aim of the report was to investigate whether the recent reforms will result in improvements in the...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of knowledge and technology transfer, enrichment and enhancement in STEM and employer engagement. It describes a project at Petroc, a large further education college in Devon. Sustainable development education covers...

This Powerpoint presentation from the May 2016 Research Conference looks at the issues facing teachers in using evaluation in their CPD activities and illustrates how to do this more effectively.

Author: Irina Kudenko

From the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this document summarises their Exploring Improvements in Teaching and Learning Through Employer Engagement project. It looked at developing links between institutions and employers in the Post-16 sector. The outcomes of the project can be seen in the series of...

This report represents the culmination of a year’s worth of work through a literature review, workshops and surveys looking at employer engagement in schools. It aims to draw out current best practice and make recommendations on next steps to share that more widely. It forms part of a strategic direction taken by...

There is widespread agreement about the importance of mathematics for individuals and for wider society. The Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME) believes that all students should receive high quality mathematics teaching from teachers who are themselves professional learners. A world-class education...

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of harnessing technology. It describes how Highbury College moved the use of their virtual learning environment (VLE) from being mostly a document repository to a vehicle for interactive teaching, learning and assessment...

This Catalyst article looks at harlequin ladybirds, just one of the invasive species that has spread through Western Europe. Over the last century there has been a dramatic increase in the movement of so called alien species around the world as a consequence of international trade and travel. Invasive alien species...

A Catalyst article about the efficient use of heating systems. Many people complain of being too hot or cold. Coming soon are a new generation of intelligent heating controls which can learn how people live, and then deliver heating efficiently when and where they need it. These devices are known as Wattboxes and...

A Catalyst article devoted to food chains. This article looks at photosynthesis and the loss of energy from plants to animals throughout the food chain. How this limits the number of animals that can survive on the energy fixed by a patch of vegetation is explained. Foraging characteristics and how many animals can...

This resource provides a lesson plan showing how to use metaphors to teach about energy transfers in ecosystems. The approach used in the lesson is based on education research which is summarised in a separate research summary document.

The lesson introduces the term metaphor and then asks students to...