Multiple Intelligences Theory

Multiple Intelligences Theory Was Applied Widely in Education

Multiple intelligences theory was widely disseminated in the field of education, and many teachers and psychologists published articles that described the application of the theory to classroom practice. Theory adherents claimed that successful classroom application validated the existence of multiple intelligences. Educators and theory supporters argued the varied intelligences provided better cognitive skill profiles of typical students, savants, prodigies, and individuals with brain injuries than did the verbal and visual subskill tests of IQ measures.

Moreover, many educators saw multiple intelligences theory as a means to assess children without using culturally biased standard IQ tests. In [Page 542]addition, educators valued Gardner's view that multiple intelligences testing would allow students to be enthusiastic about cognitive assessment. The ideal of multiple intelligences testing was to allow children to solve problems in many different contexts. Standard paper-and-pencil, single-answer tests were thought inappropriate for determining the strengths and weaknesses of the different intelligences, and educators promoted the assessment of multiple intelligences through interesting materials. Teacher observations, student work portfolios, and learning inventories were recommended as a means of assessing the multiple intelligences of a student.

A key corollary of multiple intelligences theory was that assessing all of the intelligences would permit teachers to find each student's strongest intelligences, and students would have the opportunity to find an intelligence in which they might feel a greater competence. Teachers would then be able to avoid the student's weaker intelligences and use the student's stronger intelligences to create learning materials unique to each child. For example, multiple intelligences testing of the naturalist intelligence asked students to play with different natural objects, such as a feather and a stone. Students would be asked to observe the differences and similarities between these objects, describe them in detail, and address why some objects sink and some float. Similarly, musical intelligence was tested by asking students to sing a range of songs from simple to more complex. The assessment recorded whether a student was sensitive to pitch, rhythm, and melody.

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