Identifying the Multiple Intelligences of Your Students.

Abstract

Abstract One way of addressing individual differences among adult is to identify Multiple Intelligences of learner. Multiple Intelligences refers to concept developed by Howard Gardner that challenges traditional view of intelligence and explains presence of nine different Multiple Intelligences. The purpose of this study was to develop valid and reliable instrument for identifying these Multiple Intelligences. Items were developed by field testing with 168 college students, and responses from 874 community college students were factor analyzed to develop 27item indicator to identify Multiple Intelligences preferences of adult learners. Introduction The distinguishing characteristic of adult education is its focus on individual learner. This emphasis is reflected in two foundational theories of adult learning that form cornerstone of our current understanding of adult learning (Merriam, 2001, p. 3). These twin pillars of adult learning theory are andragogy and self-directed learning. Malcolm Knowles (1970) conceptualized andragogy as the art and science of adults (p. 38). This approach for helping human beings (p. 38) was based on set of at least four crucial assumptions about characteristics of adult learners (p. 39). These basic assumptions hold that as adults mature, (a) they move toward becoming more independent and capable of directing their own learning, (b) they have an accumulated reservoir of experience that can be valuable resource for learning, (c) their readiness to learn is related to their developing social roles, and (d) their orientation to learning is problem centered with desire for immediate application. Later Knowles added that adults are internally motivated and that adults need to know why they need to learn something before committing to learning (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998).The importance of andragogy is that it created rationale for learner-centered approach to adult learning. Knowles (1975) also played role in conceptualizing self-directed learning. He defined self-directed learning as a process in which individuals take initiative, with or without help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes (p. 18). When this is combined with work of others such as Houle and Tough, it is clear that self-directed learning is widespread, is an integral part of an adult' s everyday life, and is systematic but does not depend on an instructor or classroom (Merriam, 2001, p. 8). These foundational theories of andragogy and self-directed learning describe adult learning as learner-centered activity. This focus mandates that individual differences be identified in classroom in order for teachers to be effective. One way of addressing individual differences is to identify skills of problem solving that use to resolve genuine problems or difficulties that they encounter in life and that thereby lay ground work for acquisition of new knowledge (Gardner, 1983, pp. 60-6 1 ). Such an approach involves identifying Multiple Intelligences of learners. Multiple Intelligences The traditional mode of teaching, which is termed frontal teaching or chalk and talk, has not been successful for all students as is evidenced by dropout rate of 50% in high schools in United States (Snyder, 1999, p. 11). Statistics such as these portray serious educational problem. The achievement of American dream of completing an education should not just be for those that can score high on traditional intelligence test. In 1983, Howard Gardner developed theory of Multiple Intelligences which explains presence of nine different Intelligences: these include Bodily/ Kinesthetic, Existential, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Logical/ Mathematical, Musical, Naturalist, Verbal/Linguistic, and Visual/Spatial (Gardner, 1997, p. …