A Catalyst article about a group of young scientists testing scientific claims in advertising. The group thought many claims sounded implausible. They decided to hunt for the scientific evidence behind them and challenge the manufacturers to explain how the products work. The article outlines the investigations...

Published by LSIS, this case study looks at work performed by North Devon College. With support from the LSIS STEM Programme, the college created strong continuing professional development links with local secondary schools to enhance teacher subject knowledge and ease the transition for students progressing in...

Published by LSIS, this report describes a project by Salford City College. The project was set up to enable the maths team to develop interactive resources, share good practice and develop a database for GCSE maths. The project would enable tutors to meet and plan together to improve achievement.

This report is the outcome of a project initiated by the Royal Society in August 2010. The project was prompted by a high degree of concern about aspects of the provision of education in Computing in UK schools. The project was guided by an Advisory Group that brought together individuals and representatives with a...

A Catalyst article describing how engineers have designed an aircraft which will produce much less noise as it approaches and leaves the airport. The Silent Aircraft Initiative is a collaboration between scientists and engineers at two universities, Cambridge (UK) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA...

This report, published by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) in 2008, is based on a survey of ABPI and UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) member companies to review the position three years on from a previous report called Sustaining the Skills Pipeline in the Pharmaceutical and...

A Catalyst article about the early microscopists, including Leeuwenhoek, Hooke and Swammerdam. Their work looked at the miniature world beyond human sight and through publications raised awareness of phenomena such as how insects functioned and how disease spread. The article also examines the use of simple and...

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of progression through STEM. From the College of Richard Collyer, it looks at disparities between students coming into AS level science subjects from different partner schools and between students who have taken double or...

A Catalyst article looking at what matter is made of. Snooker balls, plum puddings and solar systems have all featured in descriptive models of atoms. The article explores how people’s ideas about atomic structure have changed over the years by using specific examples of scientific study.

This article is...

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at how Preston College used a social networking site (Facebook) to engage students studying science and mathematics in more active revision strategies and thus improve success rates. It also aimed to offer support outside of class...

A Catalyst article about the organisms which live in soil. Many, such as worms and mycorrhizal fungi, are vital for keeping soil healthy and productive. An adventurous biologist could once bank on finding new species by simply travelling to some part of the world little known to science. Darwin’s famous voyage...

This Catalyst article investigates the development of better, more energy-efficient solar cells. Every minute enough sunlight strikes the Earth to power our civilisation for a year, yet less than 1% of global energy generation is provided by solar energy. Solar cells convert sunshine directly to electricity, but to...

This Catalyst article is about the surface of the Sun. The article looks at a sunspot as seen by the Japanese Hinode solar observatory. Sunspots enable research about the nature and activity of the Sun. They are regions of strong magnetic activity and the article reports on the history of research into sunspots....

Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the themes of knowledge and technology transfer, new industry jobs and curriculum development. By the City of Bristol College, the study describes how the ‘composites gateway’ helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to...

This report, commissioned by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, investigates the role of technicians in the space industry. The aim of the project on which this report was based was to inform government policy towards technicians by investigating their duties, the skills they are required to have, and how employers...