ABSTRACT
One characteristic of scientific reasoning is the use of mental models to frame explanations of classes of phenomena. Whilst students are apt to use the surface features of their school science experiences in constructing explanations, scientists weave abstract concepts into internally consistent explanatory ‘stories’, using specialized language and imagery (Sutton, 1992). An important aim of science education is to enable students to appreciate, comprehend and use these scientific mental models in their own thinking, and to make sense of novel situations.
