Final answer:
Teachers should provide guidance to students while they construct mental models during active learning and cognitive engagement, particularly during the middle childhood and adolescent stages when cognitive skills and theory of mind are expanding.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best time for teachers to guide students' thinking as they construct a mental model is during the process of learning, when their cognitive skills are actively engaged in understanding new concepts. It's advantageous to guide them while they're applying what they've learned in different contexts, promoting out-of-the-box thinking and deeper reasoning about the concepts. This helps students to build connections and to think critically, developing the ability to solve problems more effectively.
Especially in middle childhood (ages 6-11), cognitive skills expand significantly, allowing children to process complex ideas and logical concepts. This is a crucial period where teachers can foster strong mental models by posing thought-provoking questions that promote critical reflection and problem-solving. Similarly, during adolescence, students' ability to think abstractly and logically enhances, thus encouraging metacognition and the application of knowledge through mechanisms like good study habits is important.
Furthermore, during the developmental stages where children acquire theory of mind (TOM), teachers can guide them to understand different perspectives and recognize the realization of false beliefs through targeted activities and discussions. Thus, teacher input is most impactful when synchronized with these cognitive developmental milestones.