University of Georgia

About: University of Georgia is a education organization based out in Athens, Georgia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 41934 authors who have published 93622 publications receiving 3713212 citations. The organization is also known as: UGA & Franklin College.

Co-Constructing Inquiry-based Science with Teachers: Essential Research for Lasting Reform.

Abstract: In this article we assert a potential research agenda for the teaching and learning of science as inquiry as part of the JRST series on reform in science education. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of cognitive and sociocultural constructivism, cultural models of meaning, the dialogic function of language, and transformational models of teacher education, we propose that more research is needed in the areas of teachers' beliefs, knowledge, and practices of inquiry-based science, as well as, student learning. Because the efficacy of reform efforts rest largely with teachers, their voices need to be included in the design and implementation of inquiry-based curriculum. As we review the literature and pose future research questions, we propose that particular attention be paid to research on inquiry in diverse classrooms, and to modes of inquiry-based instruction that are designed by teachers. fl 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 631 - 645, 2001 Today's reform rhetoric has revived the concept of inquiry as representing the essence of science education. Reform documents such as the National Science Education Standards are promoting inquiry as the ''central strategy for teaching science.'' The editors of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching have encouraged dialogue on the efficacy of programs, such as inquiry-based science, that are being initiated or implemented in our schools. The editors state, ''this reform effort represents unfinished business for the science education community. Despite the seeming efficacy of the goals and claims that underlie current reform, there has been little formal, scholarly effort on the part of the science education community to ground the reform carefully in research.'' As part of a series of articles in JRST that explore the relationship between research and reform, this article discusses the need for research on the topic of inquiry. The purpose of this article is to propose a direction for future research on inquiry that places teacher knowledge, actions, and meanings for inquiry-based science at the center of the reform process. The proposal of a research agenda for inquiry approaches that are centered on teacher beliefs and knowledge may accelerate the production of a research literature that bridges the theory - practice gap in this important area. In this article, we present the position that additional

The genome of the green anole lizard and a comparative analysis with birds and mammals

Abstract: The evolution of the amniotic egg was one of the great evolutionary innovations in the history of life, freeing vertebrates from an obligatory connection to water and thus permitting the conquest of terrestrial environments 1 . Among amniotes, genome sequences are available for mammals and birds 2–4 , but not for non-avian

The Problem of Underqualified Teachers in American Secondary Schools

Abstract: This article presents the results of a research project on the phenomenon of out-of-field teaching in American high schools–teachers teaching subjects for which they have little education or training. Over the past couple of years, the problem of out-of-field teaching has become a prominent topic in the realm of educational policy and reform, and the results of this research have been widely reported and commented on both by education policymakers and the national media. But unfortunately, out-of-field teaching is a problem that remains largely misunderstood. My research utilizes nationally representative data from the Schools and Staffing Survey, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. The purpose of this article is to summarize what my research has revealed about out-of-field teaching: how much of it goes on; to what extent it varies across different subjects, across different kinds of schools, and across different kinds of classrooms; and finally, the reasons for its prevalence in Am...

Dissolved Organic Matter: Biogeochemistry, Dynamics, and Environmental Significance in Soils

Abstract: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is defined as the organic matter fraction in solution that passes through a 0.45 μm filter. Although DOM is ubiquitous in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, it represents only a small proportion of the total organic matter in soil. However, DOM, being the most mobile and actively cycling organic matter fraction, influences a spectrum of biogeochemical processes in the aquatic and terrestrial environments. Biological fixation of atmospheric CO 2 during photosynthesis by higher plants is the primary driver of global carbon cycle. A major portion of the carbon in organic matter in the aquatic environment is derived from the transport of carbon produced in the terrestrial environment. However, much of the terrestrially produced DOM is consumed by microbes, photo degraded, or adsorbed in soils and sediments as it passes to the ocean. The majority of DOM in terrestrial and aquatic environments is ultimately returned to atmosphere as CO 2 through microbial respiration, thereby renewing the atmospheric CO 2 reserve for photosynthesis. Dissolved organic matter plays a significant role in influencing the dynamics and interactions of nutrients and contaminants in soils and microbial functions, thereby serving as a sensitive indicator of shifts in ecological processes. This chapter aims to highlight knowledge on the production of DOM in soils under different management regimes, identify its sources and sinks, and integrate its dynamics with various soil processes. Understanding the significance of DOM in soil processes can enhance development of strategies to mitigate DOM-induced environmental impacts. This review encourages greater interactions between terrestrial and aquatic biogeochemists and ecologists, which is essential for unraveling the fundamental biogeochemical processes involved in the synthesis of DOM in terrestrial ecosystem, its subsequent transport to aquatic ecosystem, and its role in environmental sustainability, buffering of nutrients and pollutants (metal(loid)s and organics), and the net effect on the global carbon cycle.