Conceptual Connections of Giftedness and Creativity: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review examined how the relationship between giftedness and creativity has been conceptualized in gifted education scholarship from 2005 to 2024. Across eight major journals, we analyzed 133 articles, including 13 core texts that placed the creativity–giftedness connection at the center and 120 articles that engaged it more broadly. We identified 18 recurring core concepts, spanning theoretical, developmental, and applied perspectives. The findings revealed strong continuity with foundational models that position creativity as central to giftedness, but also a tendency in much of the literature to assume, rather than explicitly articulate, this connection. The broader sample of articles emphasized applied conceptions, such as identification practices, classroom environments, and teacher beliefs, whereas the core articles highlighted creativity as a defining conceptual feature of giftedness. Although creativity remains foundational in gifted education theory, its role is inconsistently foregrounded in practice and policy. Greater clarity and explicit integration are needed to sustain creativity's place in gifted education.