Pre-service Educator Preparation in Gifted Education: A Prospective Study on the Perceived Benefits of Coursework Experiences

Publication Date

2026

Presentation Length

60 minutes

College

College of Education

Department

Education, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Ryan Fox

Presentation Type

Talk/Oral

Summary

This study examines undergraduate teacher candidates’ perceptions of their preparation to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of gifted learners, with a particular focus on the perceived benefits of coursework experiences within teacher preparation programs. Despite the presence of gifted learners in nearly all classrooms, research suggests that pre-service educators often receive limited formal preparation in gifted education. This study addresses this gap by identifying which instructional, applied, and field-based experiences teacher candidates believe would most effectively support their readiness to differentiate instruction for gifted students. Findings from this study are expected to contribute baseline evidence regarding how teacher candidates perceive the value of different preparation experiences and to inform the development of coursework and program design in gifted education. Implications highlight the importance of integrating meaningful, practice-aligned gifted education content into teacher preparation programs to better equip future educators to support advanced learners.

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