"I fear they might ask a question I cannot answer": the crisis of readiness for gifted education among pre-service primary teachers in Kazakhstan

Introduction Teacher preparation for gifted education in Kazakhstan relies predominantly on infusion models, yet evidence of their effectiveness in non-Western stratified systems remains limited. This study measured attitudinal readiness and self-efficacy of pre-service primary teachers towards gifted education and examined how structural curriculum limitations shape these perceptions. Methods An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was applied. A survey was administered to 589 pre-service primary teachers (3rd- and 4th-year undergraduates) across six universities, followed by semi-structured interviews ( n = 29). Quantitative data were analysed using independent samples t-tests; qualitative data were coded thematically and triangulated with documentary curriculum review. Results No statistically significant differences were found between 3rd- and 4th-year teachers across all attitudinal and self-efficacy measures, with trivial effect sizes. Qualitative themes revealed fear of elitism, methodological helplessness, and absence of targeted gifted education coursework. Discussion The absence of growth across academic years, termed the Plateau Effect reflects the structural failure of the infusion model. Teacher readiness is characterised as a holding pattern of ignorance, sustained by the systemic absence of stand-alone gifted education modules in pre-service curricula.