Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory
Prepared by Shirley Tayler member of TKI Gifted and Talented advisory group
The theory of multiple intelligences was first presented in Frames of Mind (Gardner, 1983) as a challenge to the notion of general intelligence measured by IQ scores. Gardner and his colleagues studied development in a variety of people including gifted individuals, prodigies, autistic savants and those with brain damage.
Intelligence is defined as "an ability or set of abilities that permit an individual to solve problems or fashion products that are of consequence in a particular cultural setting". Originally seven intelligences were identified; another has been added and other possibilities are being considered. The seven were intended to support the notion of a pluralistic view of intelligence, not to restrict its scope or define it in its entirety (Checkley, 1997; Ramos-Ford & Gardner, 1997).
The intelligences are seen as potentials that are realised or not depending on one's cultural context and opportunities presented for the identification, expression and development of them.
The eight intelligences are:
| Bodily/Kinaesthetic | physical movement and knowledge of the use of the body |
| Interpersonal | relationships and communication, understanding others |
| Intrapersonal | knowledge of own thinking and emotions |
| Logical/Mathematical | mathematical and scientific reasoning |
| Musical/Rhythmic | sensitivity to rhythm, beats, tonal patterns; performance and composition |
| Naturalist | curiosity about natural world, ability to classify flora and fauna |
| Verbal/Linguistic | concerned with words and language |
| Visual/Spatial | comprehension of the visual world and creation of mental images |
Each intelligence is seen as capable of functioning relatively independently of the others. Individuals will differ with regard to the areas in which they are considered to be "at promise" (Ramos-Ford & Gardner, 1997).
Multiple intelligences theory supplies a framework to broaden the notion of intelligence and giftedness to include a wider range of capabilities and also to identify and nurture areas of promise in all children. It suggests that the focus of assessment should be broadened to include the identification of relative strengths (those an individual exhibits in relation to his or her own profile of cognitive capabilities) as well as absolute strengths (those an individual exhibits in relation to the wider population of peers). In relation to the latter, a high level of potential in any of the intelligences can be incorporated with concepts of giftedness. For example, in Renzulli's three ring concept, an individual could have above average ability in an intelligence; creativity and task commitment can be applied to that intelligence to produce gifted behaviour.
To finish on a light note, one teacher (Chase, 1998) has identified some further intelligences. Here are a couple of them:
The Virtual-Memory-Void Intelligence is characterised by the student's selective ability to erase entire sections of personal memory as in "You never told me we had a test today". Unenlightened teachers see this as lying or not listening when it is in fact a highly developed V-M-V Intelligence.
The Inter-Origami Intelligence is expressed through writing of notes and folding them into an astounding variety of shapes and sending them. The most talented at reading and writing these notes are surprisingly illiterate in any other context!
References
Checkley, C. (1997, September). The first seven and the eighth. Educational Leadership, pp. 8–13.
Chase, K. (1998, November). The other intelligences (Oy Vey!). Educational Leadership, pp.72–73.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
Ramos-Ford, V., & Gardner, H. (1997). Giftedness from a multiple intelligences perspective. In N. Colangelo & G. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of gifted education (2nd ed.,). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Further reading
Gardner, H. (1993). Creating minds. An anatomy of creativity seen through the lives of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham and Gandhi. New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books.
Books with practical ideas for implementing the theory in the classroom
Campbell, B. (1997). The multiple intelligences handbook. Cheltenham, Victoria: Hawker Brownlow.
Lazear, D. (1995). Multiple intelligence approaches to assessment. Solving the assessment conundrum. Cheltenham, Victoria: Hawker Brownlow.
Lazear, D. (1999). Eight ways of teaching. The artistry of teaching with multiple intelligences. Cheltenham, Victoria: Hawker Brownlow.