Fostering scientific thinking in primary students through investigative environment

The Agenda 2030 objectives highlight the need to engage students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to support ecological and cultural transitions. Understanding students' scientific thinking involves examining their social, cultural, and environmental contexts. Inquiry-based learning is an effective teaching strategy that promotes exploration and develops scientific reasoning. This work presents preliminary findings from a case study testing innovative teaching methods to inspire primary school students in STEM. In the first phase, a class of final-year primary students participated in a hands-on physics activity using an inquiry-based approach. Observations indicated that the activity improved reasoning flexibility, encouraged collaborative learning, and increased motivation and engagement.