Preconceptions and Their Significance in Early Identification of Potential Giftedness in Preschool-Aged Children

Abstract

The subject of the study is preconceptions of pre-primary education children about the selected phenomenon of “learning”. We were interested in whether there are differences in children’s identified preconceptions regarding intellectual abilities. Identifying such a difference could be one indicator of giftedness that could also be useful in early educational diagnostics. The research design was mixed; data were obtained through semi-structured flexible micro-interviews made individually with 39 children. Conclusions of the research investigation point to a difference in cognitive and structural components of children’s identified preconceptions and a difference in terms of their intellectual abilities while confirming the diagnostic potential of children’s preconceptions to reveal giftedness also in children of pre-school age.