Published in May 2012, this report from Sheffield Hallam University's Centre for Education and Inclusion Research, aimed to explore the impact of the support for the CPD of teachers provided by the Science Learning Centres on individual teachers’ career progression and retention within the profession.

The...

Published in February 2010, this study from the University of York's Department of Educational Studies, focusses on the impact of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes offered by the National Network of Science Learning Centres, in 2009-2010.

The full collection of STEM Learning impact and...

In this activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, students evaluate a poster that they have previously prepared. Students will: • plan the presentation of a scientific poster • anticipate questions that may be asked on the topic • evaluate the quality of a scientific poster. Students work in pairs...

Published in 2008, this report from the TDA outlines the investigation into how professional development across Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Early Professional Development (EPD) is manifested in secondary science teaching across England.

The...

Produced by the Wellcome Trust, the Big Picture magazine was aimed at post-16 students and explored contemporary issues within biology and medicine. Each contains accessible information, that is directly relevant to the curriculum, along with supporting resources such as stimulus materials, activity sheets and...

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) have published a number of briefing notes and brochures which give excellent insights into some of the big environmental issues such as climate change, natural hazards, sustainable use of this planet's resources, biodiversity and pollution.

Two of these...

This is a classroom-based activity from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute that allows students to explore the features of two bacterial pathogen genomes. The aim of this activity is to highlight the role of different genetic components in two closely related subspecies of Salmonella enterica, and to identify how...

A Catalyst article about Dolly the sheep which was born in 1996. The scientists who created her claimed she was a ‘clone’ from a female adult sheep. To prove this claim, genetic profiling or fingerprinting was done by another, independent group of scientists. The article explores how this was done and what other...

This series of Democs resources are produced by the new economics foundation (nef). GM Food is an acitivity that encourages students to discuss and understand the issues around genetically modified foods. The materials contain teacher guidance, student activity sheets and information sheets.

The activities...

This is a classroom-based activity from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute that allows students to explore the features of two bacterial pathogen genomes. The aim of the activity is to highlight the role of different genetic components in two strains of Staphylococcus aureus and to identify how these have led to...

One of a series of articles for post-16 students published by Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS). Plants attacked by herbivores or pathogens respond by synthesising additional physical and chemical defences and so increasing their resistance to subsequent assaults. The induced defences are initiated close to the...

A Catalyst article looking at strategies for ensuring that there is a plentiful food supply in the future and how this can be sustained.

The article looks at three main areas for scientific investigation:

*Fertilisation

*Pest control

*Genetic modification

It also looks at...

This research, commissioned by the Wellcome trust, was undertaken by an interdisciplinary team led by Ralph Levinson and Dr Sheila Turner at the Institute of Education, University of London between May 1st and December 1st 1999.

The project reports on five main areas:

• The perceived importance...

This Catalyst article looks at how our knowledge of the human genome has increased greatly during the last 10 years, and genome sequencing techniques have become much faster. On 26th June 2000 it was announced that scientists had completed a first draft of the human genome, the DNA instructions for making a human...

This Catalyst article details how the genome of a plant called Arabidopsis has been unravelled so that this species can act as a model in genetic studies. Arabidopsis thaliana is a model species like the fruit fly Drosophila, yeast, and the bacterium Escherichia coli.  Scientists...