Arab Educational Information Network

The aim of this study was to find out the impact of employing the strategy of cartoon concepts in the development of visual thinking skills among the female students studying the module of Science and Life in the fourth basic grade in Gaza. The researcher followed the analytical descriptive approach, and the semi-empirical approach. The sample of the study was selected from the fourth grade female students at Cairo Basic School (B). Study sample size was 80 sampling units. The study developed a teacher guide based on the strategy of illustrative concepts in the testing of visual thinking skills. Study Results: 1) There were statistically significant differences at a significance level of α=0.05 between the mean scores of the female students in the experimental group and their peers in the control group in the post test of visual thinking skills, in favor of the experimental group. 2) There were statistically significant differences at a significance level of α=0.05 between the mean scores of the female students in the experimental group in the post-test and the follow-up of visual thinking skills. Study Recommendations: 1) To add the strategy of illustrative concepts to the curricula of teaching methods courses in the Palestinian universities, and to train students and teachers on its implementation. 2) To pay attention to the training of teachers on how to use this strategy and activate it in teaching the module of science because of its role in developing the skills of visual thinking. 3) To design educational curricula based on the strategy of illustrative concepts for all educational stages. (Author's abstract)