Multiple Intelligences Action Research

Method


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

Multiple Intelligences Based Instruction: Part 1

During the six week unit, the researcher employed the following multiple intelligences activities designed to improve students' attitudes and academic achievement...

One class period was spent introducing the students to the theory of multiple intelligences. Students were asked to complete a multiple intelligences profile as an informal activity (see Appendix G). All of the results were recorded on the board under numbered headings. Before discussing the results, students were asked to explain what "intelligence" meant to them. Most students identified intelligence as "being smart."

Next, they were provided with background information about the theory and how it was developed. They were given the example of a woman who suffered a brain injury and lost her ability to speak, yet did not lose her ability to sing (Gardner, 1983). Students were then asked if they noticed anything about the numbers on the board. Students answered that there was no order, or pattern, to the numbers. Their answers were used to emphasize that each of them had varying combinations of intelligences and that each of them was good at something. Finally, each of the intelligences was discussed and the names of each intelligence were written on the board above the correct numbered heading.


The emphasis of this MI lesson was on the fluidity of each individual's makeup of intelligences. Students were reminded that their own intelligences had changed drastically from early childhood throughout their school years, and it was emphasized that their intelligences makeup would continue to change with age and with experience. It was impressed upon students that they were not locked into one or two intelligences and that they should never label themselves (or their peers) as being one intelligence or another.
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.

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