Geografie 2025, 130, 469-493
What does it mean to be gifted in geography education? A systematic review
, Michaela Spurná2
1Masaryk University, Faculty of Education, Department of Geography, Brno, Czechia
2Masaryk University, Faculty of Education, Department of Education, Brno, Czechia
Received June 2025
Accepted September 2025
This systematic review examines what it means to be geographically gifted within geography education. It asks how geographical giftedness is defined in the literature and what manifestations or performances are attributed to gifted students. Following the PRISMA 2020 approach, eight key publications were identified through database searches and snowballing, and analysed using hybrid content analysis. The results show that the concept of geographical giftedness is ambiguously defined and often overlaps with general cognitive abilities or with curriculum requirements. The analysis identifies six thematic areas of giftedness in geography: difficulties in defining and anchoring the concept; manifestations of gifted, bright, or intelligent students; criteria for their identification; educational strategies for stimulation and recognition; the role of the Geography Olympiad in identification; and the Olympiad’s potential in fostering giftedness. The review highlights the need for a systematic definition, valid identification strategies, and effective support for geographically gifted students.
Keywords
geographical giftedness, gifted students, geography education, systematic review, abilities and skills.
