The concept of giftedness has undergone substantial theoretical evolution over the past century, shifting from predominantly psychometric and intelligence-based definitions to more complex and multidimensional perspectives. Despite this development, the field continues to be characterized by conceptual plurality, theoretical tensions, and the absence of a universally accepted definition. These ambiguities have direct consequences for identification processes, educational practices, and research orientations within educational contexts. This research aims to analyze the evolution of conceptualizations of giftedness in the scientific literature, highlighting major theoretical shifts, persistent debates, and points of convergence and divergence across influential models. Drawing on a qualitative documentary analysis of peer-reviewed articles published in specialized international journals in the field of gifted education, this exploratory study adopts a phenomenological-interpretative approach. The corpus was examined through iterative cycles of reading, coding, and thematic categorization, focusing on how giftedness has been conceptually defined, framed, and operationalized across different theoretical models. The analysis aimed to identify major conceptual shifts, points of convergence and divergence, and enduring theoretical tensions within the literature. The analysis shows that early approaches, largely grounded in intelligence testing and cognitive performance, gradually gave way to broader frameworks incorporating motivational, developmental, contextual, and socio-environmental dimensions. Nevertheless, the literature reveals enduring disagreements regarding the relative weight of innate abilities versus environmental influences, as well as ongoing debates surrounding the boundaries between giftedness, talent, and high achievement. Such conceptual fragmentation contributes to variability in identification criteria and to inconsistencies in educational responses across contexts. By systematizing and interpreting the main conceptual trajectories present in the literature, this research offers a more precise theoretical mapping of giftedness as an educational phenomenon. The findings underline the importance of conceptual clarity for informing research, identification practices, and educational interventions, and support the need for more integrative frameworks capable of capturing the complexity of giftedness in contemporary educational systems.

This qualitative exploratory study was based on a documentary analysis of peer-reviewed articles published in five international journals specialized in gifted education: (i) Journal for the Education of the Gifted; (ii) Gifted Child Quarterly; (iii) Gifted Child Today; (iv) Exceptional Children; and (v) Gifted Education. A total of 33 articles were selected for analysis. Articles were selected based on their explicit focus on conceptualizations of giftedness and their relevance to theoretical developments in the field, in line with the study’s aim. The study was conducted within a phenomenological-interpretative paradigm, which was adopted in order to prioritize meaning construction and the interpretation of intentions underlying conceptual formulations in the literature (Amado, 2014). The analytical process began with iterative cycles of reading, allowing for progressive familiarization with the corpus. Subsequently, categories were developed through horizontal comparison across texts and thematic regrouping, following principles of qualitative content analysis (Bardin, 1979; Amado et al., 2014). The coding process involved identifying recurring conceptual definitions, underlying assumptions, and theoretical tensions across the corpus. This procedure enabled the identification of recurrent conceptual patterns, points of divergence, and underlying theoretical assumptions concerning giftedness.

This documentary analysis highlights that, despite significant theoretical developments in the field of giftedness, conceptual ambiguity and fragmentation remain persistent challenges. The literature shows a shift from narrow psychometric definitions toward multidimensional models incorporating cognitive, motivational, developmental, and contextual factors. However, these advances coexist with unresolved tensions regarding identification criteria, the balance between innate abilities and environmental influences, and the boundaries between giftedness, talent, and high achievement. These inconsistencies have direct implications for educational practice, particularly in assessment, curriculum differentiation, and decision-making. They are especially relevant for inclusive education, as conceptual ambiguity may hinder the identification and support of diverse learners. The analysis suggests that identification processes often privilege deficit-oriented perspectives, contributing to the underrecognition of gifted potential in students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those with learning difficulties. As a result, giftedness is frequently addressed through standardized approaches that fail to capture its contextual and developmental complexity. The findings highlight the need to diversify assessment strategies, combining formal instruments with contextualized and observational approaches. More broadly, they indicate that conceptual clarification depends not only on methodological refinement but also on curricular, pedagogical, and institutional frameworks. By adopting an interpretative approach focused on conceptual meanings, this study provides a more coherent theoretical mapping of the field and reinforces the need for integrative frameworks that support inclusive and developmentally sensitive practices. Future research should further examine how giftedness is identified and supported across different educational systems and sociocultural contexts.

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