Designing and using professional development resources for inquiry-based learning

This paper describes an attempt to design, analyse and refine professional development (PD) resources that encourage the implementation of inquiry-based learning (IBL). We describe the iterative development of the resources in England with over 100 mathematics teachers from secondary, tertiary and adult education and then analyse the impact these resources had on teachers’ beliefs and practices and the issues arising. This evaluation revealed that teachers had moved away from transmission-based orientations, encouraged by the use of less structured tasks and sample lesson plans, but some found it difficult to adopt IBL pedagogies. The most significant issues for teachers may be summarised as: confusing IBL with ‘discovery’ learning; developing and managing collaborative cultures within the classroom; and planning lessons that adapt to the emerging needs of learners.     

Synchrotron radiation analysis in the study of pollution in the ring‐billed gull (larus delawarensis): a novel application of the technique

Synchrotron radiation analysis is a powerful tool for identifying pollutants. Here, we explore the distribution of elements in the flight feathers of ring‐billed gulls, Larus delawarensis, to identify potential pollutants and their distribution throughout the feather. Our analysis using Synchrotron Radiation Analysis and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy has identified a variety of metals that are integral parts of the feather structure including: calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe). The darker portions of the flight feather were enriched with Zn and Fe, which supports the suggestion that feather melanins are efficient ligands of some metals found in the environment, sequestering potentially harmful particles away from the body. However, trace lead (Pb) acquired from the regional pollution was detected only in females, and it was distributed across both the melanized and non‐melanized portions of the feather suggesting that only some metals are efficiently sequestered by melanins. Overall this study highlights a potential method for identifying pollutants using bird feathers, which has broader implications on environmental sensing as well as avian and human health. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.