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

Results

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

Analytical Writing Sample Results

The sample consisted of 36 pre and post-tests for students in the tenth and eleventh grades. Results of the analytical writing sample (see Appendix C) indicated an improvement in analytical thinking skills following instruction based on the multiple intelligences. On the pre-test, 11 percent of the writing samples were placed in the high category, 47 percent were placed in the middle category, and 42 percent were placed in the low category.

On the post-test, 22 percent of the analytical writing samples were placed in the high category, 53 percent in the middle category, and 25 percent in the low category. The number of students who wrote compositions using inferential analysis of the poem and who supported their interpretations completely with textual evidence increased by 11 percent. The number of student who wrote compositions using mostly inferential analysis and who supported their interpretations using textual evidence that was not completely explained increased moderately. The most significant change was the decrease in the number of students writing compositions with little or no inferential analysis, little or no textual evidence, and little or no explanation.

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This trend indicates that students were beginning to improve after exposure to multiple intelligences based instruction. Overall, post-tests indicated high levels of inferential thought, better use of text in support of ideas, and better explanations. Several students even referred to the novel that they had recently read and discussed. (See Figure 8 for a complete list of analytical writing sample results. See Figure 9 and Figure 10 for a breakdown of analytical writing sample results for first period and for fourth period.)

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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

Results

Analytical Writing Sample Results