This article presents a research study that integrated Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and 3D Modelling (3DP) into an interdisciplinary approach, with the aim of promoting more meaningful learning and strengthening the connection between Mathematics and Natural Sciences in the second cycle of basic education (2.º CEB).

The study involved 20 students from a 6th-grade class, aged between 11 and 12 years. It emerged from the identification of four main issues within the group: the lack of curricular articulation in the 2.º CEB, resulting in fragmented teaching; the need for innovative pedagogical practices that align with students’ interests; the limited integration of the surrounding environment into school learning; and the persistent difficulties in understanding the concept of volume among the participants in this study.

The research followed a mixed-methods approach, using various data collection techniques: pre- and post-intervention tests, direct, participant and naturalistic observation, video recordings, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews. This characterises the study as having a mixed nature.

Two research questions were defined: “What is the influence of the integration of 3DP and AR on 6th-grade students’ understanding of the concept of volume of prisms?” and “How does the construction and manipulation of physical and virtual replicas of local monuments, using 3DP, AR, and VR, contribute to the understanding of the concept of volume and to the articulation between Mathematics and Natural Sciences in the 6th grade?”

Seven training sessions were implemented within a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) approach, using AR, VR, and 3DP. These sessions aimed to explore the concept of volume of prisms, enhance spatial visualisation, and bring learning closer to the local environment. This was achieved through experiences that combined the manipulation of physical models with interaction in digital environments, thus fostering more contextualised and meaningful learning.

Following the study, it was concluded that the implemented tasks had a positive impact on students’ understanding of the concept of volume. A significant increase was observed in the average percentage of correct answers in the post-test (70%) compared to the pre-test (45%), as well as the use of visual and spatial strategies that demonstrated progressive consolidation of the concept. The importance of these learning experiences was also highlighted by the Mathematics teacher, who, in an interview, noted that students showed greater ease in visualising and representing situations related to the concept of volume.

Keywords: Curricular articulation, Volume, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, 3D Modelling.