This study aims to examine the factors influencing pre-service primary school teachers' nomination decisions in identifying gifted and talented students using scenario-based student profiles. A case study approach, one of the qualitative research designs, was adopted, and the sample consisted of 70 pre-service teachers who had successfully completed the Special Education and Inclusion course. The data were collected using the “Student Profiles Questionnaire,” adapted into Turkish by Erdimez (2019) and featuring diverse student profiles with various individual characteristics. The data were analyzed through content analysis with the help of MAXQDA software. The findings were categorized into four main themes: (1) Pre-service teachers’ perceptions and expectations of giftedness influence their nomination decisions; (2) Achievement in quantitative subjects is perceived as more valuable than achievement in verbal subjects; (3) Social-emotional difficulties may overshadow students’ cognitive strengths; (4) When additional diagnoses were suspected (e.g., ADHD and learning disabilities), pre-service teachers tend to refer students to intervention programs, such as Guidance and Research Centers) rather than to the Science and Art Centers. The findings suggest that pre-service teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and biases significantly influence their decision-making processes when identifying gifted students. It is recommended that pre-service primary school teachers receive targeted training to deepen their understanding about giftedness and be provided with both pre-service and in-service professional development to enhance their ability to identify gifted students.
Tamul et al. (Thu,) studied this question.