Design the intellectual profiles using multiple intelligences model http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00003640.

htm

Design the intellectual profiles using multiple

intelligences model
M.R. Bermejo, C. Ferrándiz, P. Ballester and M. Ferrando
Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University of Crete,
22-25 September 2004

1. Summary

In 1983, when Howard Gardner published Frames of Mind, nobody would have imagined the
educational implications that the theory was going to have. In those work the author assumes that
intelligence is multi-dimensional and that people have different cognitive potentials. He has
identified the existence of eight intelligences required for problem solving of for making products
which are valued in a cultural context. These intelligences are Linguistic, Mathematical/Logical,
Musical, Spatial, Bodily-Kinaesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Naturalistic.

One aim of Multiple Intelligences Theory is to assess and identify the strengths of students in
different learning areas. For that purpose, a set of instruments, measurements and procedures have
been designed to evaluate abilities, knowledge and attitudes implicit in the learning process.
(Ferrándiz, 2003; Prieto & Ferrándiz, 2003).

Assessment is a dynamic process for obtaining information about individual potential, with the
aim of achieving useful data about the cognitive profile of the pupils (Gardner, Feldman &
Krechevsky, 1998a; Ballester, 2004). The difference between this kind of assessment and the test
of IQ is that in the former, we include all kinds of information derived from the teaching-learning
process within the classroom context.

The objectives of this work are two. By the one hand, to design the intellectual profile of the
students through Multiple Intelligence
s model and to analyse the educative repercussions of this
model; and also to establish the relation between each of the capacities measured by an IQ test
(BAD&G, General and Differential Aptitudes Set) and the performance in the marks reached by
the students in the MI activities, with the aim of establishing the validity in terms of coincidence
and discrimination of the different MI evaluation scales.

2. Method

2.1. Participants and School Centres

The research is made of 237 students (120 boys and 117 girls), 108 are pre-schoolers (4-5 years
old) and 129 belong to first, second and fifth year of primary education (6-7-10 years old). The
selection of schools is made in a very simple way, by conglomerates at random, from the public,
state-assisted and private schools in the Region of Murcia (Spain). The social-economic
characteristics of the students
families cover the usual range.

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2.2. Instruments

Battery of General and Differential Aptitudes

The aim is to establish the cognitive profile of the student in respect to the General Intelligence,
analogical reasoning and spatial relation (Yuste, Martinez Arias and Galve, 1998).

It has been used different BAD&G Battery levels, that corresponds with the ages of the students.
Therefore, for the enfant education students we used BAD&G I (updated edition) and for 1
and
2
year primary education BAD&G E1 (updated edition).

The BAD&G I is made of 138 items grouped in categories reefed to the following abilities: non
verbal mental ability, quantitative concept, numerical, reasoning with figures, information,
puzzles, graphic vocabulary, aural perception or word reproduction and perception and graphic-
mobile coordination. The global marks allow us to obtain a CI from global intellectual maturity.
This too, results from an adding of the direct marks of the verbal general intelligences and
non-verbal general intelligences. The verbal general intelligence is made of the trials referred to
the numeric concepts, to the information and the graphic vocabulary. All of it allows us to find the
verbal intellectual capacity and the capacity to assume the verbal and numeric concepts. The
non-verbal general intelligence comes from the adding of subtest referred to the non verbal mental
ability, to the reasoning with figures and puzzles, through these sub trials we measure the capacity
of pre-logical reasoning, the ability to solve problems of figurative type and the capacity to find a
common characteristic to several pictures. #9;

The BAD&G E1 trial is made of 162 items grouped in several relative variables: analogical
relations, numeric problems, logical matrix, numeric calculations, complex verbal commands,
twisted figures, immediate memory, alteration in writing and difference discrimination. The
general marks allow us to obtain an IQ from general intelligence, that it is obtained too from the
adding of the 6 basic sub trials that are analogical relations, numerical problems, logical matrix,
numeric calculations, complex verbal commands and twisted figures. With the Battery we can find
the logical reasoning that comes from the adding of 3 sub trials mentioned above.

In few words, these trials allow us to find the IQ reefed to the students
general intelligence, as
well as the partial marks on verbal, numeric and spatial factors.

MI evaluation activities

For MI evaluation we use 11 activities designed by Gardner and his team (1998b) in the Spectrum
Project with the aim of evaluating the 8 Gardner and his team proposed intelligences in children
between 4 and 5 years old. The activities have been adapted and set into our context for our
students of primary education by our research team (Ferrándiz, Prieto, Ballester & Bermejo,
2004).

The aim is to evaluate the skills implicit on each intelligence: Linguistics; Logical

Mathematical; Visual-Space; Corporal; Naturalist; Musical and Social. For each of the activities
the observers count with protocols or likert type observation scales, on which appear the abilities
of each of the intelligences matter of evaluation. As follows we present briefly these evaluation
instruments used in this study.

Naturalist Intelligence

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For the evaluation of this intelligence we use the activities of "discovery" and the "float and sink".
All are oriented to evaluate through a likert type scale from 1 to 4, the precise observation
abilities, relation identification, hypothesis formulation and testing, experimentation, interest in the
naturalist intelligence and knowledge of the natural world that according to Gardner the are
implicit in the naturalist intelligence.

Visual
Spatial Intelligence

The evaluation of visual-spatial intelligence is developed in two sessions with the following
structured activities: create an sculpture, draw an animal, draw a person and draw an imaginative
animal for this activity we use likert type scale from 1 to 4 that pretends to evaluate the
representation, exploring and artistic talent activities.

Corporal
Kinaesthetic Intelligence

For the evaluation of this intelligence we use the activity called "creative movement" oriented to
value, through likert type scale from 1 to 4 the abilities of: rhythm, sensibility, expressivity,
corporal control and generation of ideas through movement.

Linguistic Intelligence

The linguistic intelligence is developed through two sessions, one for the activity of Story teller"
and another for the "reporter" both oriented to value through a likert scale 1 to 4 the following
abilities: primary functions of the language (telling, interactions with adults, research, description
and categorization); telling abilities (telling structure, subject coherently, use of telling voice, use
of dialogue, temporal sequences, expressivity, level of vocabulary and sentence structure) and the
abilities reefed to information (level of scaffolding, content precision, argument structure,
vocabulary complexity, level of details and sentence structure). With the aim of making the data
analysis procedure more operative these abilities have been grouped in 3 variables: language
primary functions, telling abilities and informing abilities.

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

This intelligence is valued through the activity "dinosaur game" oriented to value, through a likert
type scale from 1 to 4 the ability of: numeric reasoning, logical and spatial reasoning.

Musical Intelligence

The musical intelligence is evaluated with the activity of "singing" that pretends to evaluate the
sensibility to the tone, to the rhythm and musical capacity. These abilities are valued using a likert
type scale from 1 to 4.

Social Intelligence

The musical intelligence is evaluated with the activity of "classroom model" that pretends to
evaluate the Knowledge that the child have about her/his-self; about the others, and the knowledge
that has about social roles.

2.3. Procedure

The general procedure to follow in this work is developed in four sections.

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In the first one, we adapt and set in context the different MI evaluation instruments.

The second one we applied the evaluation of each intelligence is developed following this order:
Naturalist, Corporal-Kinaesthetic, Visual
Space, Linguistic, Logic-Mathematical, Social-
Musical. Each activity is done within the classroom context but the "creative movement" that is
done in the psychomotor activity room. In every activity teachers are always present with every
group of students taking part in the evaluation process. The duration of each activity is 60 minutes.

Finally we continue with the test marking, valuation of the different activities as MI evaluation
instruments, we process the data and its statistical analysis, we value the results obtained and we
make conclusions.

2.4. Data design and analysis

Data analysis includes a descriptive analysis on the marks obtained on each of the items that
conform each intelligence such as averages and standard deviations.

We present the design of the intellectual profile of the students taking part in the research on the
different intelligences proposed by Gardner. The aim is to analyse in what intelligences the
students obtained the better skills and difficulties, in order to shape an instruction suitable to the
cognitive needs of our students.

We as well, using Krechevsky and Gardner (1990) methodology and with the aim of valuing the
benefits coming from the theory for applying them to the exceptional students, we show the
individual profile of two students, one of them shows a talented profile and the other shows
difficulties in some of the intelligences.

We carried out, also, correlation analysis, among the different items that conform the scales of
each of the intelligences and between these and the marks obtained in the BAD&G psychometric
test, with the aim of analysing the existing relations between them and determine the concurrent
and discriminatory of the MI evaluation scales.

3. Results

3.1. Participants Cognitive Profile

With the aim of showing the usefulness that the evaluation procedure used by Gardner has to the
configuration of a more suitable instruction adequate to our students, we present the intellectual
profile of our participants in this research for each of the different intelligences Corporal-
Kinaesthetic, Musical, Linguistic, Logic-Mathematical, Naturalist, Visual-Space, Social.
Following the methodology and analysis done through Spectrum Project (Krechevsky and Gardner
1990) the marks obtained were transformed into "z" marks. It was considered that boys obtaining
standard deviation, or more, above the average, were gifted with a determine intelligence, while
the boys obtaining a standard deviation, or less, below the average, show disadvantage in that
intelligence.

The results show that the majority of the students demonstrate abilities and skills in the different
intelligences, existing a great variability in the marks obtained. It is the Visual-Space intelligence
on which we can see a great number of students where the values are below the average (61.2%);
and it is also in this intelligence where there is a majority with weak points, because a 20.7 %
obtains marks below a-1z. If we analyse in which intelligence the students show generally better

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abilities we find that 52.1 % obtain marks above the average when they work on social
competence duties related, the intelligence is the linguistics where we find a bigger number of
students with strong points or abilities (39.2 %), because their marks are equal or bigger that a+1z.
Finally, we observe that with the exception of Social Intelligence, there are many students
obtaining marks below average in the different intelligences although we have to point out that
students, generally, show more abilities or strong points than difficulties in the different
intelligences but Visual-Space whereas we have commented, appears a high percentage of students
with difficulties below
1z.

Figure 1. Cognitive Profile of participants sample in the eight intelligences (% of students that obtain scores above of
+1z, above of the average, below of
1z and below of average in each one of multiple intelligences).

3.2. Analysis of exceptionally students

One of the implications that the MI evaluation model has on education is the usefulness for
designing the intellectual profile of a classroom and especially that of exceptionality students.

The intellectual profile of a pre-school (4 years) student with difficulties in most of the Gardner
defined intelligences showed that with the exception of Social Intelligence the student had
difficulties and weak points in all the intelligences evaluated. Being these difficulties much more

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stressed in abilities related to Logic-Mathematical and Musical Intelligence in which the marks
was higher than
2s . However, we can observe that the student showed adequate social abilities,
where the marks was close to the average.

A second year Primary Education girl
s intellectual profile with potential signs of being talented
showed, that it is Social Intelligence in which she got the highest mark well above +2,5s , follow
by the Visio -Space getting +1,8s , both will conform potential areas of talent. But besides she
showed marks above the standard deviation in the Corporal-Kinaesthetic, Musical, Linguistic and
Logic-Mathematical intelligences.

Her marks was moderated for Naturalist Intelligence in which she obtained a mark close to
average.

We can state that from the MI evaluation model the competence of any student is much more
defined and it help us in a very enriching way, much more than the general factor tests, for
designing the intellectual profile of potential students with high cognitive abilities indicators.

3.3. Relation between Multiple Intelligence and General Intelligence

It can be observed, in general, high and significant correlations between the different variables
from the same scale in the model of Gardner. On the contrary the correlations between the
different Gardner scales and the psychometric test used are low.

The correlation between the total mark of Corporal-Kinaesthetic Intelligence and CI is low, from
.154 to a signification level of .05.

In relation to the analysis referred to the Logic-Mathematical scale, the existing correlations
between the variables of such scale are very high, all at a signification level of .01, this same thing
happen between the total mark and scale variables. However, the existing correlation between CI
and the total mark of Logic-Mathematical Intelligence is low and no significant, what it gives
discriminative validity to the evaluation scale.

Given the conceptual similarity between this intelligence and some of the BAD&G A and E
subtests (Logical Reasoning, LR; Non verbal General Intelligence, nVGI; Verbal
Number
Problems Resolutions, NR; and Number Calculations), we believe that it is convenient to analyse
the kind of relation established between them. The results show that contrary to what it happens in
the IQ, the correlations between the BAD&G subtest and the Logic-Mathematical Intelligence
variables are in general significant to a .01 level, aspect that supports the Logic-Mathematical
Intelligence scale validity.

Table 3. Pearson correlation coefficients between the CI and the Logic-Mathematical Intelligence variables.

Direction Counting Election Election Election

Movement Given Movement Given
Number

Direction Movement 1

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Counting ,500** 1

Election Given ,580** ,514** 1

Election Movement ,331** ,485** ,483** 1

Election Number Given ,370** ,450** ,418** ,563** 1

CI ,078 ,049 ,143* ,097 ,097

Logic-Mathematical , 663** , 735** .749** , 751** , 840**

Total

L.R. , 155 , 212* , 250** , 280** , 326**

nVGI ,329** ,494** ,352** ,249* ,373**

NR ,119 ,126 ,186* ,230* ,269**

Numerical Calculation , 090 , 179 , 124 , 341** , 288**

*Correlation is significant at 0,05 level (Bilateral)

** Correlation is significant at 0,01 level (Bilateral)

The existing correlations between variables in the Musical Intelligence scale (tone, rhythm and
Musical capacity) are very high, all with a 0.01 significance level as well as the correlation
between these and the total scale mark, as expected. However it is not the same between these
variables and IQ, the relationship between them are extremely low (0.97) what it gives constructor
discrimination validity to the Musical Intelligence scale.

In general, there are not relationships between the variables that measure the Social Intelligence
(self-knowledge, knowledge of the others, assuming and knowledge of the social roles), these
results supports the hypothesis that the three aspects that conform the Social Intelligence are all
different, it seems to be that the self-knowledge related to Intra-personal Intelligence would be
independent from the rest of the knowledge, closer to the interpersonal Intelligence.

In relation to the existing links between these three variables and the intellectual quotient
according to the results form the analysis done, the relationship would be very low and only
significant at 0.05 level between the assumption and knowledge of social roles and IQ (.170). In
respect to the existing correlation between the Social Intelligence total scale mark and IQ, there is
not relation between them; this data offers constructor-discrimination validity to such scale. It
seems clear that, the self-knowledge and the knowledge of the others are independent from the

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intellectual quotient.

The analysis of variables that define the Naturalist Intelligence shows the great relationship
between them, the correlations are significant to .01 between all the variables studied and between
these and the total mark, the marks are very high between the observation and relation identifier
variables with a .630 as coefficient and between the experimentation and hypothesis formulation
variables with a.799 as coefficient.

In connection with the existing relationship between the Naturalist Intelligence and Intellectual
Quotient we can see that there are little relation between the last one and the variables referred to
the observation and relationship identifier. On the contrary, there is a relationship between the
experimentation and hypothesis formulation variables and IQ and the existing correlation of this
last one and the Naturalist Intelligence total mark having 0.209 as a coefficient reaching .01 of
significance. It seems that the Naturalist Intelligence abilities that require a much more logical
thinking would be related to a kind of thinking measured in the psychometric test used in the
research.

The variables that define the Linguistic Intelligence, according to the Gardner
s model, shows a
significant relationship between them, in a way that the correlation analysis offers a value of .802
between the primary language functions and the narration or inventive abilities to a significant
level of .01; a correlation of .236 between the language primary functions and the abilities to
inform at a significant level of .01 and a correlation of .315 with a level of significance of .01,
between the abilities involved in the narration and invention of a story and the ones involved in the
task of informing about the story seen previously. The existing correlations between the variables
in the BAD&G psychometric test that measures the verbal aspects and the ability to inform of the
Linguistic Intelligence are very high and significant reaching 0,01 above all the ability to inform of
the Gardner scale (.296). Aspect that is due to the number of IQ and BAD&G test as they have a
great number of comprehension enunciations, besides IQ and BAD&G have a great amount of
logic and accuracy, both are very necessary in the informative skills. This correlation would
contribute with more concurrent validity to these abilities.

The existing relationships between the variables that define the Visual-Space Intelligence
(representation; exploration and artistic talent), are high, all of them are significant to a .01 level
with indexes reaching .65.

The correlation analysis done between the Visual-Space analysis and the BAD&G A and B
psychometric test current validity to the Visual-Space Intelligence evaluation scale. However the
existing correlation between general IQ and Visual-Space Intelligence evaluation scale total mark,
although significant, it is low, this would give validity to the discrimination scale.

Table 4. The Pearson
s correlation coefficients between the variables of Visual-Space Intelligence and CI.

Representation Exploration Artistic Talent CI

Representation 1

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Exploration ,698** 1

Artistic Talent ,672** ,707** 1

Visual-Space Total ,888** ,890** .896** ,155*

IQ ,095 ,137* ,179** 1

Jigsaw ,315** ,185 ,207*

Logical Matrix ,224* ,294** ,280**

Rotated figures ,149 ,225* ,221*

Difference discrimination ,303** ,473** , 450**

*Correlation is significant at 0,05 level (bilateral).

** Correlation is significant at 0,01 level (bilateral)

The existing correlation indexes between the total marks of each of the MI evaluation scales and
the intellectual quotient show that correlations are in general weak between the different Gardner
proposed intelligences and IQ, being the highest correlation in the Naturalist Intelligence and IQ
with a value of .209 to a level of significance of .01.

Table 5. Pearson
s correlation coefficients between the each of the MI Intelligences and IQ.

Corporal Musical Social Naturalist Linguistic Visual-SpaceLogic- IQ

Mathematical

Corporal 1

Musical , 290** 1

Social ,097 ,140* 1

Naturalist ,221** ,086 ,189** 1

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Linguistic ,246** ,007 ,126 ,290** 1

Visual-Space ,172** ,080 ,144* ,272** ,308** 1

Logic- 1
, 351** , 234** ,284** , 223** , 267** , 293**
Mathematical

IQ , 154* , 097 , 120 , 209** , 193** , 155* , 124 1

*Correlation is significant at 0,01 level (Bilateral)

** Correlation is significant at 0,05 level (Bilateral)

4. Discussion and conclusions

The results of our work, obtained in a classroom natural context, and with the same evaluation
instruments used by Professor Gardner and his team, show that the MI evaluation model represent
an complementary to the psychometric evaluation and it is useful for designing the classroom
development profile and especially that of children with retarded cognitive problems or
difficulties, underlining the strong points and vacuums referred to basic abilities on which each
intelligence is based. This means that we can use the strong points for fighting the intelligence
imbalance (Ferrándiz, 2003; Ferrándiz, Prieto, Ballester & Bermejo, 2004).

The correlation analysis established between the different intelligences and the intellectual
quotient show the existence of evaluation scales discriminatory validity assigned to value the
different intelligences.

In general, as we have commented before individually for each scale, it seems to be that aspects
evaluated by IQ are, in most of the cases, different to those evaluated by the different scales
analysed. The constructor discrimination validity would be, finally, established for the MI
Intelligences evaluation scales.

In order to finish, we can say that the MI evaluation model represent an alternative to the
psychometric evaluation and it is useful for designing the classroom development profile and
especially that of children with retarded cognitive problems or difficulties, underlining the strong
points and vacuums referred to basic abilities on which each intelligence is based. This means that
we can use the strong points for fighting the intelligence imbalance (Prieto & Ballester, 2003;
Ballester, 2004).

5. References

Ballester, P. (2004). Evaluar y atender la diversidad de los alumnos desde las Inteligencias
Múltiples. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad de Murcia

Ferrándiz, C. (2003). Evaluación y desarrollo de la competencia cognitiva. Un estudio desde el

modelo de las Inteligencias Múltiples. Murcia: Servicio de publicaciones de la Universidad de
Murcia.

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Ferrándiz, C., Prieto, M.D., Ballester, P., & Bermejo, M.R. (2003). Validez y fiabilidad de los
instrumentos de evaluación de las Inteligencias Múltiples en los primeros niveles instruccionales.
Psicothema Vol.16 n
1 pp. 7-13

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind. New York: Basic Books.

Gardner, H; Feldman, D. & Krechevsky, M. (1998a). Project Spectrum: Building on Children
s

Strengths: The Experiene of Project Spectrum. N. Y.: Teachers College press.

Gardner, H; Feldman, D. & Krechevsky, M. (1998b). Project Spectrum: Preschool Asessment

Handbook. N. Y.: Teachers College press.

Krechevsky, M. & Gardner, H. (1990). The emergence and nurturance of multiple intelligences:
the Project Spectrum approach. In M.J.A. Howe (Ed.), Encouraging the development of
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Prieto, M.D.& Ferrándiz, C. (2001). Inteligencias Múltiples y curriculum escolar. Málaga: Aljibe

Prieto, M.D. & Ferrándiz, C. (2003) Foreword. In Coreil, C. Múltiple Itelligences, Howard
Gardner and new methods in College Teaching (pp.:11-14). New Jersey: New Jersey City
University

Prieto, M.D. & Ballester, P. (2003) Las Inteligencias Múltiples. Diferentes formas de enseñar y
aprender. Madrid: Pirámide

SPSS/PC 11.0 for Windows (2001). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. SPSS Inc.

Yuste, C.; Martínez, R. & Galve, J.L. (1998). BADyG. Manual Técnico. Madrid: CEPE

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