The 3D4E strategic approach: Can GAI improve visual thinking skills in STEM high schools?

Abstract Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) has the potential to transform education, particularly in fostering students’ visual thinking skills (VTS) within STEM learning. However, its pedagogical value depends on strategic integration guided by cognitive and instructional principles. This study introduces the 3D4E Strategic Approach—a structured model encompassing Define, Design, Develop, Evaluate, and Enhance phases—to optimize the educational use of GAI visualization tools for improving VTS among STEM high school students. Grounded in Whole Brain Theory (WBT) and Brain-Based Learning Theory (BBLT), the approach operationalizes iterative cycles that engage both hemispheres of the brain to promote conceptual understanding and creative visualization. A quasi-experimental design was employed in a STEM high school with an experimental and a control group. Data was collected using a cognitive VTS test and an observational performance rubric. Results indicated no significant pre-test differences between groups, yet post-test analyses revealed substantial improvements favoring the experimental group on both instruments (cognitive test: M = 37.50 vs. 24.87; p < 0.001, η² = 0.998; rubric: M = 116.00 vs. 81.83; p < 0.001, η² = 0.988). Repeated measures ANOVA confirmed significant time × group interaction effects, and a strong positive correlation ( r = 0.945, p < 0.001) demonstrated convergent validity between conceptual and applied gains. The findings underscore the power of integrating GAI with structured, theory-driven instructional design to enhance higher-order visual thinking in STEM education. The study offers practical implications for curriculum innovation and teacher professional learning and recommends longitudinal and multi-context replications to validate the scalability of the 3D4E model.