The Educational Use of Aggregate Sites Produced by the National Stone Centre Porter Lane, Middleton by Wirksworth, Derbyshire, Derbyshire DE4 4LS

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INTRODUCTION

Research approach

The study builds particularly upon earlier research carried out by the National Stone Centre (NSC) (see Appendix 3b) commissioned by BACMI (now part of QPA (1)), QPA (2), CBI and English Nature (3) and individual companies in the industry. It is also enhanced by NCS's experience gained in:

(a) Interpretive work and educational planning commissions conducted for quarry companies and government environmental agencies in England and Wales (4)
(b) Industrial training carried out by the NSC for the sector training body (5)
(c) Hosting large numbers of educational groups (c200 pa) to the NSC site and a nearby large operating quarry.
(d) Specific interviews with a representative cross section of:

i) major company, SMEs and trade federation personnel (6)
ii) teachers, adult education, university and college lecturers, and LEAs (7)
iii) others with relevant experience in insurance, legal matters and health and safety (8)

(e) Specific structured requests for information from:

(i) mineral planning officers (9)
(ii) Earth science teachers in tertiary education (10)

(f) Short surveys carried out of:

(i) Science textbooks
(ii) LEA Health and Safety Officers

Whenever possible formal surveys were avoided, particularly in respect of approaches to industry. Apart from the generally poor level of responses to conventional questionnaire, surveys, by the Spring of 2003, many companies were experiencing 'survey fatigue', especially resulting from ALSF supported initiatives by organisations, in some cases duplicating work already researched in the past. Wide use was made of NSC's comprehensive network of contacts, by face to face interviews, email, fax, telephone, letter as well as library / internal file / web searches.

Consultees are listed in Appendix 2.

The research was mainly conducted by Ian Thomas, Director NSC, who also led the Research Team (detailed in Appendix 3a). In should be noted that during the course of the project, there were a significant number of unanticipated changes in the Team which had important implications for the timing of the release of the findings.