Exploring elementary students’ learning of astronomy through constructing visual representations

This study explores how the construction and refinement of visual representations support elementary students’ learning of astronomical concepts, particularly in topics that are challenging to teach and understand. Drawing on qualitative data—including student interviews, classroom recordings, student-produced visual representations, and field notes—from a Canadian Grade 5/6 classroom, the findings show that representational practices serve both cognitive and social functions. On the one hand, visual representations act as generative tools for students to reason, interpret, and make sense of complex phenomena. On the other hand, they function as epistemic resources for communicating scientific claims in public settings. Students demonstrated the ability to coordinate and synthesize information from various sources—such as online research, reading materials, and peer feedback—into coherent representations, even negotiating between scientific accuracy and audience engagement. The study highlights the potential of visual representation tasks to foster active, inquiry-based learning in astronomy, allowing students to integrate knowledge, communicate effectively, and take ownership of their learning. Educational implications are discussed, suggesting that task design is crucial in leveraging visual representations to support both individual reasoning and collective knowledge-building in science education.