Concept networks organizing knowledge for purposes of physics teacher education

A characteristic feature of scientific knowledge is its organization and the connectedness of its conceptual structure. This notion is also behind the widely accepted instructional method of representing the concepts as networks. We suggest here design principles for organized concept networks representing physics knowledge. The design principles are based on procedures of operationalising experiments and modelling. It is shown that well organized concept networks can be constructed by using the suggested design principles. Moreover, it becomes possible to discern certain basic structural patterns connected to the procedures. An example of concept network in electrostatics is discussed to show the structure of organization and the role of different procedure related patterns. It is discussed how such a concept network makes visible both the structure of knowledge and the methodological procedures.