How do template display model data

Can some one help explain how active widgets templates display data ?
I cant see how the template actually references the data stored in models ?

For example : in AW.UI.LIST

template are defined for the control :

obj.defineTemplate("content", new AW.Templates.List);
obj.defineTemplate("item", new AW.Templates.ImageText);

And in AW.TEMPLATES.LIST the list of items is iterated over and the ImageText template called.

for(i=0; i<count; i++){
ii = indices ? indices[i+offset] : i+offset;
a[i] = this.getItemTemplate(ii).toString();
}

How does the ItemTemplate know to reference which element in the model array ?