Teachers-in-training perceptions of gifted children’s characteristics and teacher-child interactions: An experimental study

Extending research on the ‘disharmony stereotype’, we examined teachers-in-training’s perceptions of gifted children’s characteristics and their expected teacher-child interactions. Also, investigated whether adding context information that contrasts impaired social functioning students could buffer teachers’ stereotypes. An experiment was conducted (N = 522 teachers-in-training), using a 2 × between-subjects-design. Participants received vignette (gifted/average, girl/boy, having friends/neutral) questionnaires regarding child in vignette. Based vignette, teachers-in-training displayed negative views personality socio-emotional children quality teacher-student relationship. Adding counter-stereotyping had no buffering effect.