STEM and Talent Promotion in Early Childhood Educators' Training in Austria.

This article examines the extent to which Austrian early childhood educator training programs prepare educators to integrate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and support giftedness in young children, in alignment with the Austrian National Education Framework Plan and the General Competencies for Early Childhood Educators. Through interviews with educators primarily trained via the BAfEP (Institution for Elementary Pedagogy) pathway, the study identifies significant gaps in practical STEM pedagogy and gifted education within formal training, despite theoretical coverage of STEM subjects. Educators reported barriers including limited resources, insufficient practical experience, lack of professional development opportunities, and minimal engagement with gender-sensitive STEM approaches, which hinder effective STEM and talent promotion in early childhood education centers. The findings highlight the need for curriculum reforms and specialized, practice-oriented STEM and gifted education training to better equip educators and foster inclusive, developmentally appropriate STEM learning environments.