SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS IN SERVING GIFTED STUDENTS: EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES

Giftedness is a phenomenon of human development, characterized by high potential that requires favorable conditions to be fully realized. In schools, identifying gifted students enables the implementation of strategies to address their specific needs. School psychologists with expertise in giftedness can contribute with practices grounded in psychological science. However, there is a lack of scientific studies to guide their practice, as well as insufficient training for psychologists in this field. This study aimed to investigate how school psychologists evaluate their practices in an educational program for gifted and talented students, considering the theoretical frameworks that underpin them. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted, involving five school psychologists working in an educational program for gifted students in the Midwest region of Brazil. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews, and the information was analyzed using qualitative content analysis, encompassing four phases: pre-analysis, coding, categorization, and inferential interpretation. The results revealed two categories: the Contribution of the School Psychologist and the Contribution of Theoretical Frameworks. The first category describes the psychologists' contributions through the specificity of psychology in supporting and guiding students and the school community. The second category highlights the relevance of theoretical-scientific frameworks guiding these practices. This study concludes that school psychologists can substantially contribute to the development of gifted students, especially when their practices are grounded in scientific frameworks. However, the conditions for delivering such support often hinder the application of theory to practice, particularly due to the persistence of myths that challenge psychologists in developing appropriate, evidence-based strategies. Therefore, greater investment is needed in gifted education and in improving the working conditions of school psychologists to enable broader contributions to the development of gifted students.