This audit examines three Bulgarian textbooks in Geography and History to assess how effectively they incorporate the principles of Global Citizenship Education (GCE): a Grade 9 Geography and Economics textbook, a Grade 7 Geography and Economics textbook, and a Grade 5 History and Civilisations textbook.
The analysis reveals that key global themes, including climate change, migration, international inequalities, and gender equality, are present within the curriculum and textbook content. However, these topics are predominantly addressed through descriptive and knowledge-based approaches rather than through critical, participatory, and transformative learning perspectives. Limited attention is given to critical thinking, social justice, human rights, active citizenship, and the connections between global challenges and learners’ everyday realities.
The report concludes that while Bulgarian textbooks provide a strong disciplinary foundation and closely align with national curriculum requirements, they do not fully realise their potential to foster critical global awareness and active citizenship. It offers recommendations for teachers, publishers, and the GET project on strengthening the integration of global citizenship perspectives, ethical reflection, and student agency within teaching and learning processes.
