EDUCATORS ATTITUDES REGARDING THEIR COMPETENCIES FOR WORKING WITH GIFTED CHILDREN

Early identification of giftedness and timely support during the preschool years are essential for developing individualized educational strategies and for enabling children to realize their full potential. The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of preschool educators in the Republic of North Macedonia toward their competencies for working with gifted children, their perceptions of professional support, and their need for continuous training. The study included a sample of 132 preschool educators and used a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to provide a comprehensive understanding of their attitudes and practices. The results indicate that educators recognize the importance of their role in identifying and nurturing gifted children, while also emphasizing the substantial need for specialized training, mentoring support, and the systematic development of professional competencies. The findings suggest that continuous professional development directly strengthens educators ability to create stimulating, individualized, and differentiated learning environments for gifted children. These results have important practical implications for the design of educational policies and training programs to improve the quality of preschool education for gifted children.