The paper presents the problem of the quality of students‘ academic preparation. A dyadic relationship between time management skills and the quality of academic preparation has been revealed. The purpose of the study is to determine what strategy and what time management methods students apply at the stage of their preparation for taking exams at the university and to what extent this affects their academic success. As a result of the research, it was found that the largest share of the students covered in the study spend from 2 to 3 hours per day on their preparation for exams. They primarily use mobile applications as time management methods. In a strategic aspect, they allocate their time for preparation for each individual subject during the exam session. They understand the role of rational time management for the effectiveness of their academic success.

One of the distinctive features of education at the current stage is its digitalization and the widespread use of information and communication tools at all stages and levels. In recent years, artificial intelligence has become one of the most influential and dynamically developing areas in modern technologies. Its use in mathematics education in grades 1st – 4th poses fundamental challenges – to what extent AI is appropriate and necessary to apply at this age, and how to engage children in appropriate, productive mathematics activities. That is why the attitudes and preparation of student-future teachers to use it adequately in their methodological work are of essential importance. The article systematizes and presents the results of a survey conducted with students from the Faculty of Pedagogy, Thracian University – Stara Zagora, during the period 2023 – 2025 regarding their knowledge and skills of artificial intelligence and its application in mathematics education in primary schools. The survey results show that students do not have the necessary knowledge and skills to use artificial intelligence in education in mathematics and indicate a need to develop curricula for students in pedagogical specialties that support the development of their professional competencies and competences. Artificial intelligence presents new opportunities for enhancing the learning process, particularly in primary education, where foundational learning is established through methods tailored to the age and individual characteristics of students. In mathematics education through adaptive educational platforms, digital assistants, and intelligent systems for tracking progress, artificial intelligence can support not only students, but also teachers in organizing a more effective, motivating, and child-friendly learning process.

The study presents the level of English-language competence of pedagogical students as part of their academic preparation. Foreign language competence is ranked among the major proficiencies of future teachers in Bulgaria. The criteria for language acquisition of the students are in accordance with the European Language Framework and these were used to establish the linguistic acquisition of the students at the end of their first academic year. The purpose of the executed study was to determine the quality of the academic preparation in English of students from the specialty Primary School Education with a Foreign Language at the Faculty of Education at Trakia University. The results of a specially designed and evaluated test revealed that the students had difficulty with the correct usage of the English tense system but excelled at the reading and listening comprehension tasks. The findings showed considerable advance in academic performance of the students throughout their first year at university.

This article examines the potential of the theatrical narrative as a means of developing empathy and social sensitivity in primary school children. In the context of increasing technological advancement and the growing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the educational process and beyond, there is an increasing need for pedagogical approaches that develop not only cognitive, but also socio-emotional and moral competencies in pupils. The study explores the pedagogical potential of theatrical narrative and dramatized educational tales as a means of supporting the development of empathy and social sensitivity in primary school pupils. The narrative tales reveal the experiences of children with chronic diseases (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy), conveyed metaphorically, without medical terminology and labelling. The aim was for pupils to step into the character’s perspective, to experience the situation from within and, through action, to discover what support, acceptance and care truly entail. The study was conducted in a real school setting with the participation of 24 second-grade children. The theatrical performances were prepared and enacted by nine students from various pedagogy programmes at Trakia University, Stara Zagora, in collaboration with two teachers. The data was collected using observational protocols with predefined indicators for emotional reaction, engagement, and willingness to cooperate. The results indicate a clear increase in pupils’ involvement and empathic responses during the theatrical activities. The proposed educational approach has potential for application across diverse educational settings and offers an alternative approach that integrates technological innovation with human interaction, collaboration, and value-based education. Teachers describe the model as applicable and adaptable to various instructional situations. The presented work forms part of a broader study, the full analysis of which will be addressed in a subsequent publication.

The article is devoted to the issues of the development of AI in modern socio-cultural conditions and its active implementation in the field of education. A comprehensive analysis of the processes of use and integration of AI technologies in the education system has been carried out, which have led to a profound transformation of pedagogical practices thanks to the possibilities of scaling in the processing of educational content, automation of routine aspects of teaching activities, personalization of training, etc. The interaction of AI with the education system is considered not only as an expression of technological modernization, but as the overall transformation of the institutional nature of this key social institute, affecting various aspects of its functioning, and above all its axiological foundations. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the ethical and social dimensions of the expansion of AI in the field of education through the prism of post-non-classical scientific rationality and in bringing to the forefront the category of “subjectivity” and socio-humanitarian criteria for the development of the educational system in the conditions of the crisis of technogenic civilization.

The study examines the possibilities for implementing digital training with a focus on simulation training based on educational content in preschool education. The study included students of pedagogy with a professional qualification of „child teacher“ from the specialty „Preschool and primary school pedagogy“ at Thracian University – Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. A self-assessment tool was used during the practicum conducted in a digital environment in the field of linguistic and literary education. The results show that the most difficult for students is the optimal time distribution of activities, as well as the introduction of an addressee of speech activity other than the teacher, in order to motivate students to speech activity. The study brings out the possibilities of the digital environment through the prism of the vision of students – future teachers, for the implementation of a practicum, which could find its place in hybrid forms of university training

The report examines the entry of artificial intelligence into education and its potential to transform the learning process. The main objective of the study is to analyze the opportunities that artificial intelligence provides for improving the teaching of social and natural sciences, as well as to identify challenges related to its integration into the learning process. In methodological terms, an analytical approach is used. Real tools applied in education are presented and a typology is proposed according to their pedagogical functions. Among the main opportunities that artificial intelligence provides are individualization of learning, visualizations and simulations, facilitating the understanding of abstract concepts. Along with the positive aspects, the report also highlights challenges, including technological inequalities in some regions; risk of passive learning and loss of active cognitive engagement in overly automated education. In conclusion, the report emphasizes that the true value of artificial intelligence is not in the technology itself, but in its conscious, critical and pedagogically purposeful application with a focus on the learner.

Drawing lies at the foundation of works of art, regardless of their type and genre. In drawing education, tasks related to the linear construction of the form of objects on the drawing surface are of primary importance. Drawing is the first visualisation of the artist’s thought, but it can also have the character of a meaningful creation with its own independent aesthetic value. The development of education in visual arts cannot be considered separately from the wide use of contemporary digital technologies. This necessitates their use in carrying out tasks of a creative and pedagogical nature, achieving a new aesthetic impact of the final result, and including digital drawing in the curricula. The possibilities of digital technologies make it possible to work in the direction of involving students in artistic activity and increasing their creative activity. The article presents an experimental study whose aim is to make a comparative analysis of the construction of the educational linear drawing and that of a drawing created with the possibilities of digital technologies. The research is based on an analysis of theoretical sources, curricula, and experimental work. It was found that the construction of linear educational drawings by means of digital tools is used with ease by learners and is largely preferred for sketches and compositional solutions. The students’ technological knowledge helps to raise the level of visual literacy in drawing and its aesthetic qualities, which leads to the conclusion that the use of the possibilities of digital technologies in visual arts education can supplement the options for constructing the classical drawing and be included in the curriculum.