Visual support for scientific discourse of primary school students in the process of STEAM education

The article presents a comprehensive study of the synergetic interaction between scientific and visual literacy of primary school students within the modern paradigm of STEAM education. The author substantiates the role of visual thinking as a “cognitive bridge” that facilitates the critical transition from visual-spatial perception to abstract-logical processing of scientific information through graphic coding. A synthesized model of convergence between scientific and visual literacy of primary school students has been developed. Within the proposed approach, these two types of literacy are regarded as a unified cognitive-communicative complex, where scientific speech provides a logical form to the content, and visual thinking ensures cognitive depth of perception. Particular attention is paid to the conceptualization of the scientific discourse of primary school students as a specific type of activity formed during inquiry-based learning and characterized by the use of adapted terminology for the objective presentation of results. The study differentiates between the concepts of “visibility” (passive observation) and “visualization” (an active cognitive process of constructing mental images), where the latter serves as a tool for knowledge structuring and overcoming clipping thinking. The paper presents a methodical toolkit developed and piloted at the “Futurum” Children’s Academy of the National Center “Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,” which includes cognitive methods, procedural strategies, graphic structuring tools, etc. The research results confirmed the effectiveness of visual strategies in supporting scientific communication. The conclusions emphasize that the synergy of scientific and visual literacy serves as a foundation for the formation of metacognitive skills and a systemic worldview. The results of the approbation confirm that combining the logic of scientific speech with the depth of the visual image not only promotes deep conceptualization of knowledge but also prepares primary school students for successful project and research activities. This creates a solid basis for the further intellectual development of a child in the conditions of dynamic digital transformation of modern education.