The non-computational brand of cognitivism is based on the premise that performances, including those of children, are generated by mental models or representations, i.e., "internal" resources. The sociocultural approach, on the other hand, regards context, i.e., an "external" resource, as the chief means of elaborating knowledge. The results of empirical research on how Moroccan children develop their understanding of the shape and properties of the Earth highlight some of the limitations not only of the representationalist paradigm but also of the more "radical" socioculturalist approach. They show that, while the sociocultural context does indeed play a vital role in the development of understanding, the latter in turn helps to increase children's autonomy of mind. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)