Who is Howard Gardner?
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What is the Multiple Intelligences Theory?Gardner proposed the theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) in his 1983 renowned book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. MI challenges the idea of a single intelligence; instead, it suggests that all individuals possess strengths in some capacity to some degree.
Seven Separate Human Capacities, described in Gardner’s 1983 book: Music Verbal-Linguistic Bodily-Kinesthetic Interpersonal Intrapersonal Visual-Spatial Logical-Mathematical |
Psychologists were the intended audience of Gardner’s book; however, educators were the dominant supporters of the MI Theory because it suggests that children “possess natural aptitude…[and] strengths that cannot be identified in traditional tests”
Since 1983, Gardner has continued to research his theory and has considered adding other intelligence capacities to the original list of seven. A new capacity, Naturalistic, was proposed and officially added to the list in 1995. In an interview with Gardner in 2009, he stated that he was considering adding Existentialism to the list of intelligences.
Eight Intelligences of the Multiple Intelligences Theory:
Music
Verbal-Linguistic
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Visual-Spatial
Logical-Mathematical
Naturalistic
Since 1983, Gardner has continued to research his theory and has considered adding other intelligence capacities to the original list of seven. A new capacity, Naturalistic, was proposed and officially added to the list in 1995. In an interview with Gardner in 2009, he stated that he was considering adding Existentialism to the list of intelligences.
Eight Intelligences of the Multiple Intelligences Theory:
Music
Verbal-Linguistic
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Visual-Spatial
Logical-Mathematical
Naturalistic
Why is the theory strongly supported by educators?
During the time when the theory was introduced, educators were seeking new ways to reach students who did not respond to traditional approaches. (This issue still exists today). In opposition to what was generally believed by non-educators at the time, Gardner’s theory broadened the construct of intelligence, suggesting that intelligence is not a general ability and cannot be measured on a single scale or defined by a number. Essentially, the MI Theory provided educators with a novel approach to teaching that could potentially be an effective way to reach even the most unmotivated or struggling students.