The main objectives of SIMUL were: Develop concrete educational tools: Create a Toolkit with 8 modular and adaptable STEAM workshops for multigrade classes (ages 6–10), each lasting about one hour, focusing on digital competences (5 workshops) and ecological awareness (3 workshops). Develop methodological Guidelines to support teachers in independently designing innovative STEM activities in multigrade contexts. Train and support teachers: Provide specific training for multigrade teachers on the STEAM approach, active and inclusive methodologies, and the use of free and accessible technologies. Strengthen professional competences in interdisciplinary teaching design and the management of heterogeneity. Test and validate in real contexts: Implement the workshops with students in Italy, Romania, and the Czech Republic, collecting feedback to validate the materials. Promote educational values: Highlight multigrade classes as fertile contexts for educational innovation, promote gender equality in scientific disciplines, and foster digital citizenship and environmental awareness.
SIMUL aimed to support teachers and students in multigrade classes—educational settings where pupils of different ages and school levels learn together in the same classroom. These contexts present specific teaching challenges and therefore require innovative and flexible methodologies. We identified concrete needs: difficulties in teaching STEM subjects in heterogeneous contexts, lack of tailored teaching resources and training opportunities specifically designed for multigrade settings, need to promote digital competences and ecological awareness, urgency of adopting methodologies enhancing diversity. The STEAM approach proved particularly suitable for multigrade classes, as it fosters interdisciplinary, hands-on, and cooperative learning. It allows students of different ages to work together on shared projects, each contributing with differentiated roles. SIMUL enabled the development of practical and accessible tools for STEAM teaching in multigrade classes, the training of teachers on active methodologies, the testing and validation of materials in real transnational contexts, and the creation of free and multilingual resources—contributing to the broader European debate on educational innovation in multigrade settings.