IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Exhibition 2025
Our Grade 11 students in the International Baccalaureate programme at Zlatarski International School explored big questions through real-life experiences during the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Exhibition, showcasing the power of human curiosity.
TOK at Zlatarski is a key learning experience for the entire school because:
- 🔍 Abstract thinking meets the real world
- 🧠 Critical thinking comes to life
- 🌍 A sense of community grows through shared ideas
- 🎓 Students express their voices
- 💡 Younger students are inspired to think more deeply
Miroslava presented on the topic: “Are some things unknowable?” Through memories from childhood, reflections on the multiverse, and even everyday examples like the weather forecast, she invited us to think about where the boundaries of knowledge lie — and whether they can ever truly be defined.
Arnav explored how values shape our interpretation of knowledge, especially in the domains of the arts and science. Drawing on the expressiveness of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the legacy of Galileo’s telescope, and the cultural significance of Japanese Noh masks, Arnav demonstrated how deeply our values are woven into what we accept as “true” or “meaningful.”
David delivered a compelling analysis of how power, politics, and economics shape the context in which knowledge is produced. Using examples like citizen interviews in modern-day Hungary, the historical impact of the Gutenberg Bible, and the commercial marketing of protein powders, David illustrated the hidden influences that mold what we learn and how we come to trust it.
The TOK Exhibition at Zlatarski International School reminded us that knowledge is not something fixed — it is shaped and enriched by our experiences, perspectives, and the world around us.
Theory of knowledge (TOK) plays a special role in the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP), by providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. It is one of the components of the DP core and is mandatory for all students. The TOK requirement is central to the educational philosophy of the DP.
TOK offers students and teachers the opportunity to:
- ✔️reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and on areas of knowledge
- ✔️consider the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the cultures of others and in the wider world.
In addition, TOK prompts students to:
- ✔️be aware of themselves as thinkers, encouraging them to become more acquainted with the complexity of knowledge
- ✔️recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected but uncertain world.
At Zlatarski International School we have been teaching the IB Diploma since 2003! For more than 20 years we have truly benefited from having Theory of Knowledge in our curriculum!