Technical Drawing Courses in Secondary Schools: an HMI Discussion Paper
This paper gives an account of a survey, carried out by HM Inspectors in 1980-81, looking at technical drawing and other drawing office based courses in secondary schools. They also visited 11 industrial companies and 15 institutions of further and higher education to discuss their expectations of students in terms of technical drawing…
Supporting Scotland's STEM Education and Culture: Second Report
This report, published by the Science and Engineering Education Advisory Group in January 2012, addresses many of the challenges and opportunities arising in implementation of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) as it affects the delivery of STEM education and engagement. It examines the ways in which STEM education may…
Global Grant-Making: a Review of UK Foundations' Funding for International Development
This report published by the Nuffield Foundation in January 2012 provides an up-to-date picture of the scale of UK foundation resources devoted to international development. It also identifies how these resources are distributed across region and need, and how foundations approach international funding activities. Commissioned…
Evaluation of the Wellcome Trust Camden STEM Initiative
This report, published in March 2012 by the National Foundation for Educational Research, presents the findings of an evaluation of the Wellcome Trust’s Camden Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Initiative which provided funding to eight Camden schools to develop interdisciplinary projects. Projects…
Acquisition of Science Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy in Initial Teacher Training
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 into the acquisition…
The Challenges of STEM Provision for Further Education Colleges
This report, published in October 2012, documents the activities and conclusions of a research project undertaken by the 157 Group, supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, and in partnership with Association of Colleges (AoC). The 157 Group is a membership organisation that represents 27 large, regionally influential…
The Whole Curriculum in Primary Schools
Published in 1993 by the Association for Science Education, this report was a response to concerns about primary curriculum overload and the place of science as a core subject within the curriculum. A task group including practising teachers, a primary head teacher, a science adviser, lecturers and researchers in primary education…
ARKive School Museum (Age 11-14)
Produced by ARKive, this series of activities teaches students about endangered species through the creation of an interactive museum. The ARKive School Museum presentation looks at examples of endangered species and explains the concept of an ARKive School Museum. Students then research an endangered species using the ARKive…
Professional Standards for Teachers in England from September 2007
Produced in 2007, these professional standards were intended to help guide teachers' professional development and career choices. The professional standards cover the following career stages: Q – qualified teacher status C – core standards for main scale teachers who have successfully completed their induction…
Fortune Tellers
In this Planet Science resource, instructions are given for making a fortune teller so students can make one with their own questions and answers. Attractive templates are provided where the science topic links to a possible career. They can be used to stimulate interest among 9 to 13 year olds and suggest possible careers. The cooking…
STEM Fairs: Guidance and Tools
These guidance resources are provided by the British Science Association, with support from Intel Education. They give guidance that includes both attending a STEM fair and running an event. There are three sections: Getting started • Comparing festivals - a checklist to help identify potential fairs for students to visit. •…
STEM Fairs: Interviews
Provided by the British Science Association, with support from Intel Education, these resources provide an insight into a range of activities involved in organising and taking part in STEM fairs. They include contributions from a teacher taking part in STEM competitions, a STEM Ambassador and students exhibiting their British Science…
STEM Fairs: Introduction
These materials are provided by the British Science Association and supported by Intel. They aim to give an overview of the types of activities that happen at STEM fairs. The guide is useful in preparing students when visiting a fair. It also covers some of the key points to consider when organising, hosting or exhibiting at a STEM…
Pod 5: Pupil Project
In this summative challenge from Nuffield Foundation groups of students use the knowledge, skills and understanding from earlier pods to explore a sustainability question of their choice. They need to research, analyze and present ideas in preparation for an exposition. Students assess each others ideas and plans on an ongoing basis.…
Pod 4: Climate Change
In this Nuffield Foundation resource students begin by reviewing their understanding of the carbon cycle. They investigate the link between human activity and increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and speculate on whether this is causing global warming. They compare the carbon footprints of different activities and…
Pod 3: Cars
In this Nuffield Foundation resource, students explore our relationship with cars and other forms of transport. They start by investigating some of the health and social problems associated with increasing car ownership. They move on to consider how innovative technologies could support more healthy and sustainable lifestyles. As…
Pod 1: Introduction
In this Nuffield Foundation resource, students explore the how humans have sought and used materials and energy throughout history. They learn that the current manufacturing system extracts raw materials, makes something useful and then disposes of it afterwards as waste. This take-make-dump model is not sustainable. Natural closed…
Pod 3: Game On
In this Nuffield Foundation activity students use the learning skills they have acquired in earlier pods to invent a new game of their own. They need to design and test equipment as well as establish effective rules and a fair scoring system. Groups then present and explain their new game at a sports fair where it is evaluated by…
Pod 2: In Top Gear
In this Nuffield Foundation activity students use secondary data to investigate how changes in technology have led to improved performance in cycling. They research footwear to see how materials of different properties can be combined for specific purposes and carry out a practical investigation to define the optimum design of a…
Pod 1: Up to the Mark
In this Nuffield Foundation activity students carry out an investigation into some sporting techniques to establish whether practice improves performance. They conduct research into the rationale for training schedules for different sports. Students then investigate target games to explore whether scoring systems reward skill fairly…
Introduction
This Nuffield Foundation resource opens with a team game that demonstrates the need for careful planning and collaboration. Students use their findings to construct a standard operating procedure that enables them to improve their performance through better collaboration. They are also introduced to their games learning log which…
Pod 2: Waste
In this Nuffield Foundation resource students investigate whether recycling alone can mitigate the wastefulness of current industrial processes. They categorize waste into two main categories - natural materials which can be recycled through natural systems, and processed technical materials which cannot. Students learn that in order…
Faye Cashman: Spacecraft Engineer
Faye Cashman is a Systems Engineer at Astrium in Portsmouth. In this STEMNET video, Faye describes her work with all sorts of spacecraft systems such as communication satellites and the Mars Rover. She is currently working on a new telescope which will, in time, replace the Hubble telescope and uses infrared to see through the dust…
Chris Styles: Applications Engineer
Chris Styles is a Senior Applications Engineer at ARM, a company that specialises in designing computer chips for mobile phones. In this STEMNET video, Chris talks about his job finding new uses for the computer chips by inventing new technological devices. As a STEM Ambassador, Chris has been working with local schools to develop…