EFL teachers’ practice of multiple intelligences and the role of their teaching experience

Abstract

The present study investigated EFL teachers’ familiarity with Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory and any possible difference between teachers with different years of teaching experience in terms of the activities implemented in their classes. To this end, 30 male and female EFL teachers took part in the study. The participants’ language classes were observed for three successive sessions and their class activities were jotted down through an observation schedule. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted to gather information about the teachers’ familiarity with multiple intelligences. Based on the results of Kruskal Wallis test, a significant difference was found simply among teachers with different years of teaching experience in terms of their implementation of logical/mathematical activities (p ≤ .05). No statistically significant difference was found for other types of activities. Furthermore, the majority of the participants of the study (73.3%) stated that they had no knowledge of the MI theory. In addition, the Chi-square test showed that the instructors were statistically different from each other in terms of their familiarity with Gardner’s MI theory. This study can be considered as another step toward understanding what is necessary to put the MI theory into effect.