ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the importance of knowing and engaging with base knowledge and prior experiences of pre-service and practicing teachers when designing meaningful professional learning experiences related to gifted education. Research has indicated that effective professional learning is the "critical component of improving the quality of education". Most teachers participate in professional learning because they want to become more effective teachers, and professional development provides an opportunity for increased competence and increased professional satisfaction. Theories and models that underpin the conceptions of giftedness selected for different contexts have important repercussions for the education of gifted and talented students. Teachers' knowledge and understandings of the educational needs of gifted students can be informed greatly by effective professional learning and teacher education in universities that is evidence-based and taught by experts in the field of gifted education.
