Knowledge of elemental compounds is a crucial aspect of the high school chemistry curriculum. However, students frequently encounter challenges when studying elemental compounds, including struggles with understanding chemical concepts, as well as a lack of interest in learning. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of the predict-observe-explain (POE) strategy on enhancing the conceptual understanding of high school students in relation to elemental compounds. The research employed a pre-test and post-test design with an experimental and a control group. A total of 60 students participated in the study, with the experimental and control groups being randomly assigned. The experimental group received instruction on elemental compounds using the POE strategy, while the control group received instruction using a traditional approach. The intervention period for the experimental group lasted 8 weeks, comprising a total of 12 lessons. Data collection involved a two-tier concept test and semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that students taught using the POE strategy achieved significantly higher scores compared to those taught using the traditional approach; Interviews with students in the experimental group revealed a highly positive attitude towards the POE strategy. Thus, the POE strategy is an effective approach that can be implemented in chemistry courses to enhance students’ understanding of elemental compounds concepts.