The main purposes of this project are to integrate cognitive and sociocultural approaches to cognition, then to build a framework for understanding model-building and conceptual change in science that transcends current debates about individual versus sociocultural explanations of scientific practices. The proposed research employs a `cognitive-historical` method of analysis, which creates a synthesis between historical and contemporary studies of scientific practices, on the one hand, and cognitive science investigations of human cognition, on the other. By focusing on complex scientific thinking this research will contribute to pressing cognitive science toward integration of phenomena usually treated in isolation. Further, it is expected to lead to new insights useful to educational researchers who are developing model-based curricula for K-12 science courses.
