A Catalyst article about scientists who are only beginning to understand just how complex and fascinating the relationship between trees, the carbon cycle and climate really is. This article explores how aspects of the GCSE science course relate to the latest research. It also covers the relationship between trees...

A Catalyst article about the use of fruit flies in research about genetic diseases and in particular the study of DNA and how genes can cause disease. Scientists have studied the effects of placing new DNA into the chromosomes of fruit flies. One line of research is to utilise fruit flies with the human gene...

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of embedding functional skills. The purpose of the case study was to celebrate success and share good practice.

The study involved disseminating information and resources gained from a STEM event, followed by a...

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service, these materials help to demonstrate effective practice. This case study, from Universal Training UK, looks at the themes of equality, functional skills, employer engagement and mathematics. This study looks at ways of pre-empting and overcoming problems faced...

This report, from the University and College Union, evaluates the costs and benefits of higher and further education. Focusing on industrial strategy and innovation, the report argues that universities and colleges have a central role to play in the development of enterprise. The UK’s future economic prosperity...

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of employer engagement and knowledge and technology transfer. The study illustrates the power of employer engagement to deliver new curriculum modules that meet the direct needs of employers. The employment of...

A Catalyst article explaining how a Geiger counter works through the use of captioned illustrations.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2004, Volume 15, Issue 1.

Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19 years...

A Catalyst article looking at how gel electrophoresis is used in DNA fingerprinting. Gel electrophoresis is used to separate big molecules, in particular nucleic acids and proteins. To learn more about the structure and function of large molecules such as DNA and proteins, they can be broken up into smaller...

Produced in 2011 by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of equality and diversity. It describes how Doncaster College has taken action to promote and embed gender equality, particularly in relation to engineering and technology. The college held a gender equality...

Produced in 2011 by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study tackles the theme of equality and diversity. By Newham Adult Learning Service, the study set out to explore, in a scientific manner, tutor and learner perceptions regarding gender and if there was in fact any gender bias in...

Produced in 2011 by the Learning Skills Improvement Service, these materials help to demonstrate effective practice. From the College of West Anglia, this case study looks at the themes of equality and diversity and careers. The low numbers of girls in engineering has been recognised as a problem for some time....

A Catalyst article about the life and work of Gertrude B. Elion a pioneer in anti-viral drugs. The ground breaking research methodology she used and her work in creating and investigating purine compounds lead to the development of drugs which are used in the treatment of leukaemia.

This article is from...

This case study published in 2011 by LSIS  describes work by Wirral Metropolitan College. The project developed an action research project focused on increasing the participation rate of girls in the Level 2 Higher Diploma in Engineering. The first step for the project was to attract girls to post-16 engineering,...

Charlie Taylor’s Behaviour Checklists, Getting the Simple Things Right, look at the simple things that should be put in place to create good behaviour for learning. It includes the two lists 'key principles for headteachers to help improve school behaviour' and 'behaviour checklist for teachers'.

Several research reports exploring causes of girls' under-representation in physics, and suggesting possible approaches to tackling this issue.

'Girls in the Physics Classroom: Review of Research on Girls'...