Gifted education in upper secondary education represents an important yet often neglected aspect of the educational system, requiring professionally trained school counselors with a developed sensitivity to their specific needs. Research on gifted education in Slovenian upper secondary schools is, despite its importance, rather underdeveloped, which is reflected in the limited professional foundations and insufficient knowledge among educational professionals. One of the key gaps concerns the understanding of secondary school counselors’ attitudes toward giftedness, their professional competencies for effectively supporting gifted students, and the factors influencing their involvement in working with this population.
The empirical research in this master’s thesis was based on a quantitative–descriptive approach. The sample consisted of 53 school counselors from various professional backgrounds, employed in secondary schools across different Slovenian regions that implement the general upper-secondary (gimnazija) program. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistical procedures, while significant relationships between variables were examined using simple linear regression. The findings indicate that counselors hold predominantly positive attitudes toward gifted students, are moderately familiar with topics related to giftedness, and seldom participate in tasks related to gifted students. A statistically significant positive correlation was identified only between perceived familiarity with giftedness and involvement in work with gifted students, suggesting that higher levels of perceived knowledge in this area encourage greater active engagement of counselors in supporting gifted students. These results highlight the importance of education on giftedness during university studies as well as continued professional development and training for practicing school counselors. The need for systemic support for schools in establishing high-quality approaches to working with gifted students is also clearly emphasized.
The research raises important questions about the role of school counseling services in fostering the potential of gifted learners and provides foundations for further empirical studies that could deepen the understanding of the effects of various forms of professional support within the education of gifted students.
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