Engaging with theoretical models in social science education

Abstract In citizenship education, subjects like social science aim to enhance students' reasoning about social issues through disciplinary knowledge, skills and abilities. One key ability is using theories and models to better understand and reason about societal phenomena. Given the limited research on students' use of theory, this article explores the potential of theoretical models in social science education. We analysed 117 final essays from students who participated in an inquiry‐based segment on political trust and its significance for democracy, where they engaged with a theoretical model. The thematic analysis identified four distinct ways in which theory helps students organise, analyse and critically examine their arguments. These include using theory to analyse social phenomena, construct arguments, problematise issues and assess conclusions. The study was conducted in two Swedish high schools with diverse socio‐economic backgrounds, involving students in year 11. The findings suggest that theoretical models can scaffold students' learning processes, enabling them to develop powerful knowledge and engage deeply with complex social issues. This article discusses how these insights can guide teachers in leveraging models in social science education, highlighting both opportunities and challenges. The implications for teaching include the need for explicit instruction on using theoretical models and the importance of addressing the limitations of these models in representing real‐world complexities. Context and implications Rationale for this study: Research highlights the importance of theory and scaffolding in social science education, yet little empirical work shows how students use theoretical models in their reasoning or how powerful knowledge is enacted in classroom practice. Why the new findings matter: The study demonstrates how a theoretical model can function as a disciplinary scaffold that deepens students' analytical, argumentative and evaluative reasoning about democracy. Implications for practitioners, researchers and teacher educators: For practitioners, the findings suggest that explicit modelling of how to analyse, argue, problematise and assess using theoretical frameworks can strengthen students' social scientific reasoning and democratic competence. For teacher educators, the study highlights the need to prepare future teachers to work consciously with second‐order concepts and disciplinary scaffolds. For researchers, the findings indicate the value of further empirical studies examining how powerful knowledge is enacted and transformed in everyday classroom practices across different social science topics and contexts.