Early Childhood Teachers’ Beliefs and Self-Reported Practices for Gifted Children in China: A Structural Equation Modeling Study

Abstract

Findings on the teacher belief–practice relationship are mixed and highly context-dependent. In gifted education, direct evidence is limited and inconsistent across study designs and settings, especially in regions where gifted education is still underdeveloped. In this study, a structural equation model was applied to analyze the relationship between teachers’ general beliefs about gifted education and young gifted children and their self-reported practices for supporting them in the context of early childhood education in China, among 202 general early childhood teachers. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor structure (“adaptive” and “extension”) for measuring teachers’ self-reported practices. Structural model results indicated that teachers’ beliefs were positively associated with both “adaptive” ( β = .44, p < .001) and “extension” practices ( β = .38, p < .001). Stronger beliefs were associated with more frequent self-reported use of practices for supporting young gifted children. The article also discusses practical implications for professional development and policymaking.