A small-scale action research project was used to consider the policy and rhetoric surrounding development of the "expert learner" and how this might be further explored to provide opportunities for learners to have greater direct involvement in reflection and discussion with teachers. The research was based within a further education…

Ecological case study data were used to determine high school pupils' and university students' ability to organize and use these data to predict outcomes of interaction between populations within a community. The poor quality of answers given by the respondents suggests that explicit teaching, prior to the use of the case study, may greatly…

A portable and inexpensive blowfly trap, constructed from flower pots/buckets and mesh, suitable for introductory studies in blowfly succession is described. Investigations that examine species composition over time and the differences between baits are discussed. (KR)

The value and difficulties of long-term ecological monitoring studies undertaken in schools and colleges are reviewed. Rookeries, stream ecology, sand dune succession, fish population, and seed production and survival are presented as examples of successful studies. This is followed by a discussion of points to consider when setting up a long-term…

The population of Gyrinus, the whirligig beetle, is assessed using the Lincoln mark-recapture index. This technique has the advantage of helping the student to understand simple proportion as well as other concepts. (Author)