The effects of multiple intelligences instructional strategy on the environmental awareness knowledge and environmental attitude levels of elementary students

Abstract

The aim of the research was to investigate the effects of Multiple Intelligences strategy and traditional methods of instruction on elementary students’ environmental awareness knowledge levels and their attitudes towards the environment. The pre/post-test control group research model was used in this study. The research was carried out in 2009 – 2010 education-instruction year in Karatli Sehit Sahin Yilmaz Elementary School , Nigde, Turkey. Totally 60 students in two different classes in the 7 th grade of this school participated in the study. The data obtained in the study were analysed by the computer programme SPSS 15.0. The arithmetic means and standard deviations were calculated for each group. In order to test the significance between the groups, the t-test was used. The significance level was taken as ,05. The results of the research showed a significant difference between the environmental awareness knowledge levels and attitude scores of the experiment group and the control group. It was also found out that the multiple intelligences strategy activities were more effective in the positive development of the students’ attitudes and their environmental awaraness knowledge levels. At the end of the research, it is revealed that the students who are educated by Multiple Intelligences strategy have more envrironmental awareness knowledge levels and have a higher motivation level than the students who are educated by the traditional methods of instruction. It was also found out that the students participated in the experimental process which multiple intelligences strategy was applied enjoyed the activities, had great fun and they became more aware of the environmental issues.