<![CDATA[Background: Scientific literacy and disaster preparedness are critical competencies for elementary students, particularly in disaster-prone contexts. However, science education frequently addresses scientific understanding and preparedness as separate learning outcomes, creating a need for an integrated pedagogical approach that connects scientific reasoning with authentic disaster-related decision-making. Aim: This study investigated the effects of technology-enhanced STEAM learning through augmented reality digital storybooks (DS-AR STEAM) on elementary students’ scientific literacy and disaster preparedness. Method: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control-group design involved 60 fourth-grade students from two intact classes, comprising an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). The experimental group participated in learning that integrated contextual disaster narratives, augmented reality visualization, scientific inquiry, STEAM problem-solving, and preparedness-oriented decision-making, whereas the control group received conventional science instruction. Data were collected using a contextualized scientific literacy test and a nine-item disaster preparedness questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, normalized gain, and non-parametric between-group comparisons. Results: The experimental group achieved significantly higher scientific literacy (M = 94.67) than the control group (M = 82.33; p < .001). The corresponding N-Gain values were 0.848 (high) and 0.495 (moderate). Disaster preparedness was also higher in the experimental group (80.37%) than in the control group (67.41%). Conclusion: Technology-enhanced STEAM learning through augmented reality digital storybooks offers a promising approach for simultaneously strengthening scientific literacy and disaster preparedness by connecting scientific reasoning, interactive visualization, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and preparedness-oriented decision-making in elementary science education.]]>
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