Mental models vs cell schemes

Abstract

Student's mental representations of cell are examined from the perspectives of Johnson-Laird's mental models theory five years after instruction. The observed identity and stability of such representations are then interpreted under the framework of Vergnaud's conceptual fields theory. From the findings of these analyses some connections between these theories which might help in understanding the cognitive processes in learning scientific concepts, are established.

Keywords

• mental representation
• mental model
• scheme