Gendered Recognition of Giftedness in Italian Primary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study of Teachers’ Perceptions

This mixed-methods study investigates Italian primary school teachers’ perception-based attributions of giftedness, with specific attention to how gendered classroom recognition patterns may shape the visibility of girls in everyday educational practice. International research suggests that teachers’ professional judgement can be shaped by cognitive biases and gendered classroom norms, while many girls perceived as gifted may appear less visible within classroom recognition processes because their behaviours are often interpreted as more closely aligned with school expectations. Against this backdrop, the study examines whether similar dynamics emerge in the Italian context, where early recognition often relies on teachers’ classroom observation and educational decision-making. Quantitative data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to Italian primary school teachers in 2024. The survey explored teachers’ reported experience with pupils perceived as gifted (not formally assessed), their estimates of how many such pupils are present in their class, and the gender distribution they attributed to these pupils. Qualitative data were collected in 2025 through three focus groups, designed to deepen understanding of the observational criteria teachers use and the instructional decisions associated with recognising giftedness. Focus group transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Across the Italian sample, teachers widely reported having taught pupils they considered gifted; however, within teachers’ perception-based attributions, recognition was more frequently associated with boys than with girls. Focus group discussions corroborated this pattern and helped clarify its educational mechanisms: teachers frequently linked giftedness to behavioural salience and participation styles (e.g., visibility, assertiveness, and, at times, disruptiveness), whereas, within teachers’ accounts, girls perceived as gifted were often represented as more compliant and discreet, which may make them less visible through informal recognition criteria centred on behavioural salience. Overall, the findings point to a visibility gap in early classroom recognition and underscore the need for teacher education and practical, gender-responsive observational tools that broaden conceptions of giftedness beyond overt performance and support more equitable differentiated instruction, reducing the risk of missed recognition of gifted girls in primary school.