Multiple Intelligences Action Research

Introduction


American schools have traditionally favored those students who excel in the linguistic and analytical arenas because these skills are highly valued in our culture. Unfortunately, this traditional approach leaves certain students behind to stumble blindly through an educational system that ignores their unique abilities. This action research study seeks to show that instructional activities that incorporate the multiple intelligences can improve students' attitudes toward learning and students' academic achievement in English class.

by Michele R. Acosta

Operational Definition of Terms

Students' attitudes toward learning refers to either a positive or a negative opinion of school and specifically of English class.

Interpretation of literature refers to the degree of inferential analysis employed by students while analyzing literature and to the quality of textual evidence used to support and to explain the interpretation. This helped determine if MI based instruction had an impact on academic achievement.

Second quarter grades refers to grades earned by students between October 26, 1998 and January 16, 1999. Grading was done by the regular classroom teacher. A grade of "A" ranges from 90% to 100%, a grade of "B" ranges from 80% to 89%, a grade of "C" ranges from 70% to 79%, a grade of "D" ranges from 60% to 69%, and a grade of "F" ranges from 0% to 59%. These grades were not weighted.

Third quarter grades refers to grades earned by students between January 19, 1999 and March 19, 1999. Grading was done by the researcher. A grade of "A" ranges from 90% to 100%, a grade of "B" ranges from 80% to 89%, a grade of "C" ranges from 70% to 79%, a grade of "D" ranges from 60% to 69%, and a grade of "F" ranges from 0% to 59%. These grades were not weighted. A comparison of second and third quarter grades helped to further determine if MI based instruction had an impact on academic achievement.

MI based instruction refers to the development and teaching of lesson plans which consider students' unique abilities by incorporating the multiple intelligences into activities, projects, and assignments.

MI activities refers to classroom activities which incorporate one or more of the multiple intelligences. The activities that were used in this study include a multiple intelligences self profile (Moll, n.d.), "The Soldier's Dilemma" scenario (Johannessen, 1997), the Wilderness Survival Opinionnaire (Johannessen, 1994), and acting out chapters from a novel.

MI projects and assignments refers to work done mostly outside of the classroom which incorporate one or more of the multiple intelligences. The projects and assignments that were used in this study include the "To Build a Fire" essay which was based on the Wilderness Survival Opinionnaire (Johannessen, 1994) and the 1920s mini-research project.

Delimitations

This study is limited to students in the tenth grade (with two eleventh grade repeaters) who live in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The socioeconomic status of these students is middle to upper-middle class.
The author is a writer, a former English teacher, and the mother of three boys. She spends her time writing and teaching others to write. Visit articles.TheWritingTutor.biz for more articles or TheWritingTutor.biz for other writing and educational resources for young authors, teachers, and parents. Visit writing_editing_service.TheWritingTutor.biz for a description of writing and editing services provided by the author.

Return to articles.