 |
 |
|
In 1983, Howard Gardner published Frames of Mind: The
Theory of Multiple Intelligences. This book challenged the traditional
psychological view of intelligence as a single capacity that drives logical and
mathematical thought. Instead, it proposed that all individuals possess seven independent
intelligences. These, in combination, enable people to solve problems or fashion products
with varying levels of skill. These "intelligences" are: linguistic and logical-mathematical (the styles of thinking measured most often on psychological tests), musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic (including large and small motor skills), interpersonal (an area of strength for teachers, social workers, and politicians), and intrapersonal (self-knowledge). Gardner identified these intelligences by synthesizing findings from disparate sources, including research at Project Zero on the development of various cognitive skills in normal children; studies of the breakdown of cognitive abilities in stroke patients and other brain-damaged individuals; work with prodigies, idiot savants, autistic children, and other special populations; and a review of the literature on psychological testing and the relationship between test scores and performance on different tasks. Although based upon investigations in biology and psychology and intended for psychologists, multiple intelligences (MI) theory has had a wide audience among educators. It has been interpreted and adapted in many different schools and in many different ways, without any training, oversight, or implementation guidelines from Project Zero staff. To learn more about the different ways MI theory has been applied and the type of impact it has had on schools, Project Zero launched an initial study in 1992. Researchers conducted phone interviews with principals from eleven schools that have devised their own programs based on MI theory, and conducted site visits at nine of these schools. The initial findings suggest that MI helps schools in several ways. It offers a vocabulary for teachers to use in discussing children's strengths and in developing curriculum; it validates the practices of teachers whose work is already synchronous with MI theory; it promotes or justifies education in diverse art forms; and it encourages teachers to work in teams, complementing their own strengths with those of their colleagues. It also encourages schools to devise rich educational experiences for children from diverse backgrounds. Further, in-depth studies of MI schools will be undertaken to add to, and validate, these findings.
Selected readingsMany of these materials can be purchased through Project Zero's eBookstore. Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books. Gardner, H. (1991, Fall). Intelligence in seven phases. Paper presented at the Centennial of Education at Harvard. Precis published in the Harvard Graduate School Alumni Bulletin, 36, (1), 18-19. Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books. Gray, H. J., & Viens, J. (1994). The theory of multiple intelligences: Understanding cognitive diversity in school. National Forum, 74 (1), 22-25. Hatch, T., & Gardner, H. (1990). If Binet had looked beyond the classroom: The assessment of multiple intelligences. International Journal of Educational Research, 415-429. Kornhaber, M., & Gardner, H. (1989, July). Critical thinking across multiple intelligences. Paper presented at the CERI Conference, The Curriculum Redefined (Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn), Paris, France. Kornhaber, M., & Krechevsky, M. (1995). Expanding definitions of teaching and learning: Notes from the MI underground. In P. Cookson & B. Schneider (Eds.), Transforming Schools. New York: Garland Publishers. Kornhaber, M., Krechevsky, M., & Gardner, H. (1991). Engaging intelligence. Educational Psychologist, 25 (3&4), 177-199. Krechevsky, M., & Gardner, H. (1994). Multiple intelligences in multiple contexts. In D. Detterman (Ed.), Current Topics in Human Intelligence, 4. Krechevsky, M., Hoerr, T., & Gardner, H. (1995). Complementary energies: Implementing MI theory from the laboratory and from the field. In J. Oakes & K.H. Quartz (Eds.), Creating new educational communities: Ninety-fourth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part I. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Krechevsky, M., & Kornhaber, M. (1993, May). Multiple intelligences: Theory and implications. Paper prepared for Mind Management 2000 Conference, Zurich, Switzerland. Krechevsky, M., & Seidel, S. (1998). Minds at work: Applying Multiple Intelligences in the classroom. In R.J. Sternberg & W. Williams (Eds.), Intelligence, instruction and assessment. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Walters, J., & Gardner, H. (1985). The development and education of intelligences. In F. Link (Ed.), Essays on the intellect. Washington, DC: Curriculum Development Associates. |
|
Search the Project Zero web site. |
|
[Project Zero] [Research Projects] [History of Project Zero ] [Principal Investigators] [Summer Institute] [Products and Services] [eBookstore] Copyright © 2010 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 20 University Road, Sixth Floor, Cambridge, MA 02138, Phone: 617-495-4342, Fax: 617-495-9709 |