The Influence of the World Educational Changes on the Teacher Education System in Bulgaria

Even if many areas of life in Bulgaria have changed dramatically over the last decade, the organization of teacher preparation has not faced any particular dramatic reforms. It is mainly university based with a school-based practicum. The major philosophy has also remained the same, namely to prepare teachers as subject matter specialists possessing good pedagogical knowledge and skills. The responsible units for teacher preparation are the subject matter faculties and the pedagogical faculties at the universities. Middle and secondary mathematics teachers, for example, are prepared at the faculties of mathematics at some universities where usually there is a department for mathematics education. These departments create the curriculum and organize teacher preparation and school practicum. Currently, there are departments of mathematics education in six universities (out of about 40) around the country.