The influence of the context in representing the human nutrition model

Abstract

The human nutrition model is relevant in Biology education. Researchers and policymakers propose the introduction of modelling practices in science education, including the representation of the model. Despite being scarce, previous studies have shown that the guideline given to students conditions their performance when representing their models. This study addresses how the context given to 79 preservice teachers (PSTs) in two cohorts at the end of a modelling sequence conditions the representations of the nutrition model constructed by them. The contexts were a child running and a lactose intolerant person. Written explanations and drawings of PSTs were analyzed according to the components-mechanisms-phenomena (CMP) framework. PSTs of both cohorts expressed a more developed nutrition model in a running context than in an intolerance context with respect to CMP aspects, which was shown by statistically significant differences. Therefore, the conclusion is that the context conditions the expression of the model. In this case, it was the context that appealed directly to the circulatory system and implied the use of energy, the one that led to a more complete representation of the human nutrition model.