Howard Gardner's Theory Of Multiple Intelligence Essay

Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence
Raed Aljahane
MSA 502

The theory advanced by Howard Gardner referred to as Multiple Intelligences, suggests that there are varying degrees of intelligence that an individual possess. Gardner proposed that there are seven forms of intelligence: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinaesthetic, intrapersonal and interpersonal. This theory proposes that teaching and learning should be based on an individual’s different and unique form of intelligence, (Armstrong, 2009). The traditional teaching method encompasses and focuses on verbal linguistic and mathematical logical intelligence. However, the theory by Gardner suggests that there are five other forms of

The forms of intelligence advanced by Gardner indicate a person’s ability and capability and the form in which they prefer to learn and develop strengths. Developing a person’s strengths ensures that they positively respond to the learning experience and their growth and development is also influenced. The theory suggests that people have a set of intelligences and that it is not the single drive for a person’s style and capability. The notion that a person’s intelligence can be measured and scaled is said to be ridiculous, (Chapman, 2016) and that a person possesses a mix of abilities, but is only good at a few and that people coexist and work well together when they are collectively good at different things, (Silver, Strong & Perini,

What Gardner has identified as different forms of intelligence are subservient to the one overarching intelligence, (Armstrong, 2009). This theory is further criticised in that it has developed out of cognitive science whereas learning models are interpreted based on individual personality and psychological affect and also that it focuses on the content of learning and ignores the individual process of learning which is important in learning/development models, (Silver, Strong & Perini,