Action Research Study: Effects of Multiple Intelligences Based Instruction on Students’ Attitudes and Achievement?--Method

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 3

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

Following the "Soldier's Dilemma" lesson, the class read and discussed "To Build a Fire" by Jack London, after which they were assigned to write an essay which required them to use their intrapersonal intelligence.

Before reading the short story, students were asked to complete a Wilderness Survival Opinionnaire (Johannessen, 1994) (see Appendix J). After reading and discussing the story, students were asked to complete the same opinionnaire for a second time.

The essay assignment asked them to identify three statements from the opinionnaire for which their answers changed as a result of reading and discussing the story (Johannessen, 1994) (see Appendix K). Students needed to consider the reasons for their answers on the first opinionnaire and then were required to consider what about the story and the class discussions made them change their opinions when completing the second opinionnaire.

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There was also an alternative assignment for those students whose answers had not changed on the second opinionnaire; however, the same introspective thought process was still required. Students were also required to use textual evidence in support of their reasoning. As a result, students used their logical-mathematical and verbal-linguistic intelligences for analysis of the literature and for organization of their essays, in addition to the verbal-linguistic intelligence for reading and writing and the intrapersonal intelligence for the introspective thought process.

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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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Multiple Intelligences Action Research

Method

Multiple Intelligences Based Instruction: Part 3