Multiple Intelligences

Multiple intelligence is a theory developed by Howard Gardner and first published in his 1983 book Frames of Mind. This theory views human intelligence as a complex web of abilities that are evident in one's products and preferences for learning. Gardner developed his theory after careful review in various fields that study the values and the potential of mankind. Though Gardner is a psychologist, his theory has been embraced by many educators as an explanation for the many ways their students learn and achieve. They are accordingly adapting classroom instruction so that students can demonstrate their strengths and improve upon their weaknesses.

Keywords Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence; Existential Intelligence; Intelligence Profile; Interpersonal Intelligence; Linguistic Intelligence; Logical-Mathematical Intelligence; Multiple Entry Points; Musical Intelligence; Naturalistic Intelligence; Spatial Intelligence

Educational Theory > Multiple Intelligences

Overview

Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory is based on the belief that human beings possess a complex set of abilities beyond what is measured through traditional Intelligence Quotient (IQ). The theory was developed by Howard Gardner in 1983 not as an educational model but as a way to explain the way the mind works. Supporters of the theory believe that intelligence, as it is traditionally defined, does not take into consideration the wide range of abilities human beings use to solve problems. Though the theory has been criticized for having its basis in intuition rather than empirical evidence, Gardner and his supporters argue otherwise. According to Chen (2004) the theory is grounded in comprehensive review of studies in biology, neuropsychology, developmental psychology, and cultural anthropology.

The theory appeals to educators because it articulates what they experience on a daily basis; that students learn and succeed in different ways and have an individual profile of strengths and weaknesses that can be exploited to deliver effective instruction. Key to the application of multiple intelligence theory in the classroom is the intentional use of multiple entry points into instruction and providing students with various ways to show what they have learned.

MI is often confused with the notion of learning styles, which became popular in the 1950s. However, learning styles refers to personality characteristics or preferences that are evident in the process of learning. Intelligence refers to the ability to solve a problem, perform a skill, or deliver a service. Multiple intelligences theory differs from learning styles theory in that both the ability to learn and apply new material in various individualized ways is considered in multiple intelligences theory.

Gardner's Seven Intelligences

Originally, Gardner defined seven key intelligences:

• Linguistic

• Logical-mathematical

• Musical

• Bodily-kinesthetic

• Spatial

• Interpersonal

• Intrapersonal

The first two are those that are traditionally valued in schools. Linguistic intelligence refers to the ability to use words and language and to use language as a means of thinking and learning. Those with a high level of linguistic intelligence may succeed at careers such as writing, teaching, and law. Logical-mathematical intelligence refers to the ability to discern patterns, think logically, and perform mathematical operations. This intelligence is typically associated with mathematical and scientific thinking.

Three of the intelligences are associated with the arts. Musical intelligence involves the ability to express and feel ideas and feelings musically. It includes the ability to recognize and produce a variety of rhythms, tones, and pitches. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence refers to the ability to use one's body to solve problems and the ability to organize oneself in space, such as in dance. Such learners typically are most comfortable with a hands-on approach rather than lectures. Spatial intelligence is the ability to visualize and use space. Such people are often artistically inclined.

The final two intelligences are described by Gardner (2000) as personal intelligences. They are associated with one's relationship with oneself and others. Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to discern the feelings, desires, and motivations of other people. Counselors, salespeople, and leaders require a strong interpersonal intelligence. Intrapersonal intelligence refers to the understanding of one's self. They are successful with subjects such as philosophy and learn best when given opportunities for careful reflection.

Other Intelligences

In 2000 Gardner described two additional intelligences: naturalistic and existential. People with a high level of naturalistic intelligence have a high level of sensitivity to the natural world and their place within it. They are typically successful with growing and caring for plants and animals. Existential intelligence refers to the understanding of life's profound and universal questions, such as the meaning of life and death. The last two intelligences were not as well accepted as the first seven. Other intelligences suggested by Gardner are moral and spiritual.

Intelligence Integration

Advocates of multiple intelligences claim that every person has all types of intelligence to some degree, and, if given the appropriate environment, can develop their weaker areas to a level of competency. Each type of intelligence functions and interacts within each person in different ways, and the interaction is essential to completing various tasks. For example, to cook a meal, one must use linguistic intelligence to read the cookbook, logical-mathematical to measure the correct portions, and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence to mix to the desired consistency.

Gardner did not intend the theory to be used to categorize people. He wanted multiple intelligences to be a way of disaggregating people, showing ways in which they differ from one another, and not a way of putting labels on them. According to Gardner's research, there are greater variations within groups of people than there are between groups of people.

Applications

Proponents of this theory argue that more children would learn successfully and with efficiency if a wide variety of methodologies, activities, and assessments were used. Contrary to the MI way of teaching is the traditional skill-based curriculum in which all students learn the same thing in the same way and the same measures are used to evaluate their competency with the material. MI teaching requires that students be given a variety of ways to show their understanding of a concept, and the emphasis is on application and ownership of information rather than on rote memorization.

A study of English-language learners in Malaysia supports intelligence integration. Findings from this study suggest that in a learning environment where multiple intelligences may not be actively used, there is a tendency to have “weak and negative correlation between multiple intelligences and English language achievement” (Pour-Mohammadi, Zainol Abidin, & Yang Ahmad, 2012).

Intelligence Profiles

Central to the application of MI theory is the concept of the profile of intelligences. An individual's profile is the combination of strengths or weaknesses among and between the different types of intelligences. This orientation eliminates the delineation between high, medium, and low achieving children, as all areas in which a child may achieve are considered and valued. Instead of looking at a child as simply capable or not capable of learning, the profile of intelligences takes into consideration how a child learns best and what sorts of products children may create that reflect their learning. Educational researcher Micheal Rettig (2005) has found that this approach is successful from the earliest years of schooling and applies to teaching children of various abilities, including those with cognitive and physical disabilities. The MI approach to intelligence requires the educator to ask "not how smart a child is, but how they are smart" (Rettig, 2005, p. 255).

Most people, according to Gardner and his colleagues, have jagged profiles. This refers to a profile in which a student processes some types of information better than other types. Students with "laser" profiles have a wide variety in their profile with strength in one or two types of intelligence. Other areas may be weak by comparison. These students can follow a clear path dictated by their intelligence that leads to success in a particular field. Those with "searchlight" profiles have less pronounced differences between their intelligences, and such students will have a greater challenge in choosing a suitable career.

Assessing Intelligences

There exists no single tool that assesses a child's intelligences and offers a profile of results. Armstrong (1994) maintains that discerning someone's intelligence profile requires careful professional judgment, observation and time. Though packaged assessments may be enticing, an intelligence profile is a complex reflection of an individual's learning strengths, weaknesses, and production capacity and cannot be defined without context. "If anyone should tell you that they have a computer scored test that in 15 minutes can provide a bar graph showing the eight peaks and valleys of each student in your class or school, I suggest you be quite skeptical" (Armstrong, 1994 , p.30). Armstrong suggests that the best tool for determining a child's intelligence profile is observation.

Children begin to show what Gardner (1983) refers to as proclivities or preferences early in life that offer educators insights into what their intelligence profile is like. These inclinations are usually formed by the time the child begins school and their preferences for certain activities and ways of learning may offer insight into what their particular proclivities are. A child with a high level of musical intelligence may enjoy singing and tapping his feet, a spatially intelligent child may enjoy drawing and playing with building blocks, while an interpersonally intelligent child may be a natural leader. It is important to keep in mind that most children are intelligent in more than one area.

In addition to looking at what a child enjoys in determining their intelligence profile, Armstrong (1994) advises looking at the ways in which a child misbehaves. The kinesthetic student may be fidgeting, the linguistic student may be talking out, and the spatial student may be doodling. This misbehavior may indicate how a child needs to be taught. Using MI as a theoretical base for instruction may reduce behavior problems in class, as children become engaged in the subject matter in ways that they can be most effective as learners. Keeping detailed anecdotal records and notes over time about a student's behavior and preferences may ultimately yield insight into their intelligence profile. Other sources such as school records, work samples, past teachers, and parents can all provide information that is valuable in determining how a child will best learn.

Multiple Entry Points

Multiple entry points is a key to MI instruction and refers to the variety of ways teachers provide students with access to the material that students are expected to learn. A teacher who provides multiple entry points to instruction does not rely on a single method or activity to deliver instruction. Rather, he or she uses various ways to transmit information to learners. A teacher may employ art, movement, and various media into their delivery. Wares (2013), for example, illustrates how MI instruction via multiple entry points can be applied in mathematics classrooms in the context of an origami project.

This approach ensures that children with strengths in the various types of intelligences will be able to access the material in a way that most makes sense to them.

Varied Assessment Tools

The use of varied assessment tools refers to the way teachers create situations in which children can show their understanding of the material. In this way, children can show what they have learned in ways that best mirror their abilities. A teacher might present children with a menu of choices for assessment to include choices like dramatic renditions, dance, or drawing.

Children with high levels of spatial intelligence learn best when instruction is delivered through art or images such as multimedia, pictures or photographs. It is often a good assessment to have them draw their ideas or develop models that illustrate their understanding of a concept. They also benefit from graphic organizers or diagrams that illustrate visually the main themes or ideas of a lesson.

Heidari and Khorasaniha (2013) found a “significant positive correlation” between visual (spatial) intelligence and reading proficiency. They concluded that MI should be “highly considered” by educators as they develop strategies for reading instruction.

Kinesthetic learners do well with a variety of manipulatives and hands on activities. Such students benefit from a variety of tools as they integrate ideas into their knowledge base. As they apply the tools provided, they can best show what they have learned.

Children who are strong in intrapersonal intelligence are generally motivated from within and can be given work in which various stages need to be checked before moving on to the next. Intrapersonal learners can facilitate discussions between students and conduct interviews or seek information from those with real life experiences on a topic.

Students with a strong naturalistic intelligence learn best when activities are connected to the natural world. Outdoor activities and classification and connections to the environment help these children make connections with learning objectives. By observing and considering how classroom objectives interact with the natural world, these students can learn in a way that makes sense to them. Assessment activities may include observation and classification with an emphasis on relationships within and between things in the environment.

Music is a way of connecting knowledge to feelings. Students with a high level of musical intelligence learn well through sound. This intelligence is closely related to logical mathematical intelligence because of the attributes of music that relate to pattern and progression.

Teachers who subscribe to MI theory often find that they can develop cooperative learning experiences and projects in which children with various abilities can participate and excel. A class publication can provide rich opportunities for children to be experts in their areas of strength. A linguistic child can write articles, a spatial learner can participate in laying out the articles and submit drawings and photographs. A student with a high level of interpersonal intelligence can conduct interviews and solicit subscriptions. A logical-mathematical child can work on calculating costs and number of copies needed to print. A kinesthetic student would be successful delivering the paper and working with a musically inclined learner to develop advertising commercials. Changes in roles over time can help students develop the intelligences that are not their natural strong points.

Students with a high level of logical mathematical intelligence can follow the logical progression of traditional lessons with ease, as their minds are primed to connect to ratio and regularity with a linear argument and presentation. These students also perform calculations easily and can be assessed in a logical and linear format, as this mode of assessment reflects their natural way of assimilating and organizing information.

It is important to note that most occupations require facility in more than one area of intelligence. A teacher must be linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and logical-mathematical within a single day. A firefighter must possess high levels of spatial intelligence to understand the path of fire within a building and develop plans for rescue. They must have kinesthetic intelligence to execute their plans and linguistic intelligence to communicate to their fellow firefighters. Accountants must be logical-mathematical and interpersonal to be successful. Students should understand the range of abilities required in daily living so that they realize that all types of abilities are valuable and necessary to function in society.

Viewpoints

Evaluating Gardner's Research

It is difficult for scholars and scientists to evaluate Gardner's theory because measures have not been developed for the various intelligences. Gardner prefers to evaluate intelligence by products such as work samples and efficiency in problem solving rather than tests. His definition of intelligence is oriented toward products and occupations that are valued by societies around the world and across cultures as well as the biological potential to produce valued products and solve problems.

Central to MI theory are the brain systems involved in each of the different intelligences. Gardner studied the outcomes of brain injured patients and savants and used such cases to support the role of brain structures in intelligence. These patients had suffered traumatic breakdown in one or more physical areas of the brain and still maintained areas of competence in one or more of the intelligences. For example, a savant that was unable to speak could still produce music stunning in its clarity while a brain injured patient that had lost memory could still speak and solve problems verbally.

Gardner's definition of intelligence has sparked some conflict and calls the traditional definition of intelligence into question. Is intelligence a quantifiable characteristic an individual possesses, like body weight? This notion of intelligence as quantifiable is at the root of well-known intelligence tests, such as the Stanford-Binet, which yields a numerical score. These types of popular tests consider primarily the two types of intelligence upon which the Western educational system is based: linguistic and logical mathematical.

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom

Many educators rejoice over MI theory and the promise they believe it holds for their students. The promise of MI theory in practice is that no longer will students who are strong in the linguistic and logical mathematical intelligences be classified as successful while students with strengths in other areas seen as failures. Rather, all students will be seen as successful in a variety of areas and in different ways.

Adoption of the MI perspective requires that teachers be open to new ways of thinking and learning. They must learn to deliver instruction in new ways that may be different from what they experienced as students or from what they learned in their pre-service programs. They must regularly incorporate ways of assessment that promote the various intelligences and let students show what they have learned and how it is meaningful to them. In addition to allowing students to use their preferred intelligences as routes for learning and assessment, teachers must also consider ways in which they can help their students strengthen the intelligences that are areas of relative weakness for them.

Multiple Intelligences & Standardized Testing

Other changes in education that have been informed by MI theory are the more focused consideration of the individual learner, teachers and students looking at a few topics with an eye toward understanding rather than rote memorization, and an emphasis on thought processes and the manipulation of ideas . In general, these changes have occurred alongside an increased emphasis on standardized testing and school funding that is contingent upon quantifiable successes, such as test scores.

As so many states and school divisions continue to revise and entrench their high stakes testing orienting curriculums, it remains to be seen how and if MI theory will play a role in this highly politicized drama. After decades of scholarship and research in the area of Multiple Intelligences since Gardner's groundbreaking 1983 book, it appears that MI theory has a wide intuitive appeal and utility among educators even though the issues of validity regarding the theory have not been satisfactorily addressed.

Terms & Concepts

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence: The ability to coordinate physical movements to understand and express ideas.

Existential Intelligence: Understanding of life's major issues and questions.

Intelligence Profile: A web of an individual's strengths and weaknesses in the various areas of intelligence.

Interpersonal Intelligence: The ability to understand other's feeling and motivations.

Intrapersonal Intelligence: The ability to understand one's self.

Linguistic Intelligence: The ability to use words and language, both spoken and written.

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence: The ability to use mathematical operations and discern logical progressions.

Multiple Entry Points: An instructor uses multiple entry points to present information so that students with different intelligence profiles can best learn.

Musical Intelligence: The ability to interpret pitch, harmony and rhythm.

Naturalistic Intelligence: The ability to understand and interact with the natural world on its terms.

Spatial Intelligence: The ability to orient ideas and objects in three dimensional space.

Bibliography

Armstrong, T. (1994). Multiple intelligences in the classroom. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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Wares, A. (2013). An application of the theory of multiple intelligences in mathematics classrooms in the context of origami. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science & Technology, 44, 122–131. Retrieved December 11, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete.

Suggested Reading

Campbell, B. (1994). The multiple intelligences handbook: Lesson plans & more. Standwood: Campbell & Assoc.

Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2004). Workshop: Tapping into multiple intelligences. Retrieved July 23, 2007, from

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic.

Celebrating Multiple Intelligences. St. Louis: New City School.