Research article | Open Access
International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications 2025, Vol. 16(2) 1-16
Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Metaphorical Perceptions of the Concepts of Giftedness and Special Talent
pp. 1 - 16
Publish Date: December 31, 2025 | Single/Total View: 0/0 | Single/Total Download: 0/0
Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the metaphorical perceptions of pre-service special education teachers regarding the concepts of “giftedness” and “special talent,” and to reveal their views on the impact of these concepts on professional practices. The study employed phenomenology (qualitative) design, which enables an in-depth exploration of participants’ experiences and perceptions. The research was conducted in the 2024–2025 academic year with 100 volunteer pre-service teachers enrolled in the Department of Special Education at Buca Faculty of Education. Participants were asked to produce metaphors for each concept by completing given sentences. The data were analyzed using content analysis. After the analysis, 88 valid metaphors for the concept of giftedness and 87 valid metaphors for the concept of special talent were obtained, and these metaphors were categorized under specific themes. The findings indicate that metaphors for giftedness were most frequently clustered under the categories of development (13.8%), production (12.6%), and achievement (11.5%), while metaphors for special talent were concentrated under development (34.1%), originality (20.5%), and value (20.5%). Also, 95% of the participants stated that their views on these concepts would influence their professional practices. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that pre-service teachers’ conceptual perceptions and metaphorical thinking can shape their professional attitudes and practices, and emphasizes the importance of developing pedagogical approaches in teacher education programs that take into account candidates’ mental representations rather than focusing solely on theoretical knowledge.
Keywords: Giftedness, metaphor, special talent, pre-service teachers.
APA 7th edition
SAGIR, T.M., HONAC, N.H.T., & BICIMLI, B. (2025). Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Metaphorical Perceptions of the Concepts of Giftedness and Special Talent. International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 16(2), 1-16.
Harvard
SAGIR, T., HONAC, N. and BICIMLI, B. (2025). Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Metaphorical Perceptions of the Concepts of Giftedness and Special Talent. International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 16(2), pp. 1-16.
Chicago 16th edition
SAGIR, Tugce Merve, Nimet Hande TANK HONAC and Baris BICIMLI (2025). "Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Metaphorical Perceptions of the Concepts of Giftedness and Special Talent". International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications 16 (2):1-16.
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