This APU report for teachers differs from other reports in being jointly authored by members of the APU language and science teams. It reports the joint study of students’ written and spoken language in relation to science subject matter. This study addressed the...

The APU report for teachers presents, in concise form, some of the data and findings of the APU surveys of students aged 13. It includes an outline of the assessment framework, some of the questions which were written to match it, a description of how well, and how...

The APU report number 4 for teachers presents, in concise form, some of the data and findings of the APU surveys of students aged 13. It includes an outline of the assessment framework, some of the questions which were written to match it, a description of how well, and...

The APU report for teachers presents, in concise form, some of the data and findings of the APU surveys of students aged 15. After outlining the assessment framework (see also...

This APU report for teachers focuses on the performance of students aged 15 in a range of test questions concerning electricity. It presents the findings in a sequence in which it suggests that different activities are generally encountered by students. An...

This report highlights students’ (aged 15-16) opinions regarding their experiences of careers education and work experience. The findings highlight low levels of careers education and work experience taking place: fewer than half of all students surveyed took part in work experience and  fewer than two-thirds...

Published by the Wellcome Trust in October 201, this report looks at how one-year postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses in England and Wales support trainees’ acquisition of subject knowledge and topic specific pedagogy across the sciences.

The study, which was the first of its kind to look...

A Catalyst article about using the ISIS accelerator to study the structures of materials. ISIS is one of the UK's world leading research centres and this article explains how the centre uses neutrons to study materials at an atomic level. Acting as a super microscope the ISIS accelerator can be used for physics,...

A Catalyst article about the life and ideas of Albert Einstein. He is most famous for his ideas on relativity which formed the theory of general relativity, in which he showed that gravity could be explained as the effect of large masses on space. After the Second World War he also worked with other scientists and...

A Catalyst article about alchemy, the study of eternal life, salvation, and the answer to the ultimate questions about life, the universe and everything. It flourished for more than 1500 years until, in the late 1600s, the beginnings of modern, scientific chemistry edged it aside. The article looks at what was...

The aim of this Ofsted survey was to analyse the elements of successful alternative provision. Alternative provision has been defined as education outside school, arranged by local authorities or schools. For the purpose of this survey, alternative provision was defined as something in which a young person...

Alternatives for Science Education was produced and published by the Association for Science Education (ASE) in 1979. Its sub-title, A Consultative Document, indicates its aim and status. In addition to being a document of considerable historical interest, it contains arguments of continued relevance.

The...

A Catalyst article about aluminium, a shiny silvery metal, which is extracted from its ore by electrolysis. Further addition of other metallic elements results in an alloy, which can be cast into various shapes using moulds. The article looks at the processes of extraction, casting, patterns, moulds and finishing...

This Catalyst article describes an experiment with fluoride toothpaste on eggshells (as a substitute for teeth). Both teeth and eggs contain calcium compounds which can be attacked by acid. When an egg is put in vinegar the shell is weakened by the acid making it soft and more fragile. When teeth are exposed to...

This report, published by the Nuffield Foundation in 2010, provides an international comparison of upper secondary mathematics education in 24 countries, including England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is based on data collected as part of a research review, which was subsequently validated and...