Beyond the Myths: Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Beliefs About Giftedness Across Gender and Educational Fields

ABSTRACT
This study aims to identify myths held by pre-service teachers regarding giftedness, considering their gender and educational field. We administered a survey to 235 third-year pre-service teachers from five educational fields. Data were collected using an eight-item test reflecting common myths about giftedness identified in the literature. Participants indicated agreement or disagreement with each item and explained their responses. Descriptive analyses revealed general trends for each item, and Chi-square tests assessed the influence of gender and educational field on responses. Results showed that approximately half of the participants endorsed myths related to the first item, while about one third held myths concerning the second, sixth, and seventh items. In contrast, most participants demonstrated scientifically accurate understandings for the fourth and fifth items. Gender was not a significant factor for any item except the seventh, and educational field did not significantly affect responses to any item. Overall, pre-service teachers exhibited similar beliefs about giftedness. Incorporating real-life case studies into faculty courses may help replace these myths with evidence-based understandings.