A Catalyst article about biologists looking for patterns in the distribution of barnacle species on the sea shore. Barnacles are arthropods which live as tiny larvae in the sea and then cement themselves, head down, on suitable rocks, build a shell, poke their legs out of the top of it and start to filter feed. The...

A Catalyst article about Darwin's travels on the Beagle which gave him ideas about evolution. Darwin spent almost five years on board HMS Beagle as it sailed around the world. The purpose of the voyage was to map navigation channels around the coast of South America. Darwin was the ship’s naturalist and companion...

A Catalyst article about gaining Chartered Engineer status. The process from application through education to professional experience is explained.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2009, Volume 19, Issue 4.

Catalyst is a...

In 2005 the Wellcome Trust commissioned this survey of teachers and managers in state maintained schools in England, focusing on three main aspects of continuing professional development (CPD):

• What do different types of teacher want from CPD?
• What are the benefits of CPD, and for whom?
•...

This report from Ofsted looks at low level classroom disruption. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) raised concerns about low-level disruption in schools in his Annual Report 2012/13. As a consequence, guidance to inspectors was tightened to place greater emphasis on this issue in routine inspections. In addition...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) and employer engagement. It focuses on building upon Sheffield City College's knowledge and technology transfer practices to improve the delivery of the dental nursing...

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study tackles the themes of employer engagement and curriculum development. It looks at the real situations being faced by South Thames College, which wanted to stay current and leading-edge in delivery of their motorcycle maintenance...

The Low Attainers in Mathematics Project (LAMP) was one of three post-Cockcroft, Department of Education and Science (DES) studies related to low attainers. The Project was based at the Mathematics Centre, West Sussex Institute of Higher Education (WSIHE).

The Beyond 2000 report was the outcome of a seminar series initiated by Rosalind Driver and Jonathan Osborne at King’s College London. The series was funded by a grant from the Nuffield Foundation. There were four closed seminars and two open seminars. The report was edited by Robin Millar and Jonathan...

This report, commissioned by the Wellcome Trust, evaluates Big Picture, its free publication on bioscience, and explores ways in which it could be developed. It was hoped that this summary of the main findings would be of use to other organisations developing materials for teachers and students, particularly those...

The Big Ideas: the future of engineering in schools report, supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering, reflects the views of leading engineering education experts and key stakeholders such as employers, parents and students. It proposes that students should be explicitly taught about engineering and the...

A Catalyst article about how burning fossil fuels releases extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. However, burning renewable biofuels is part of the normal carbon cycle and does not contribute to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. This article looks at the ways in...

This Catalyst article examines the differences between fossil fuels and biofuels. At present, fossil fuels are used to provide most of our global energy requirements. Fossil fuels are a finite resource as they take millions of years to form and the remaining supplies are being used at a greater rate than can be...

A Catalyst article describing how glow worms and other insects emit light by bioluminescence. All over the world, on land and in the sea, living things have been making light for millions of years. From the glow of the sea on a dark night due to myriads of phytoplankton, to the dance of the male fireflies trying to...

A Catalyst article describing how new materials can be designed by studying natural materials and how they work. In particular the development of Velcro, military fabric, swimwear and waterproofing is looked at. These products were developed by scientific study of natural products such as plant burrs, pinecones,...