STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. Date: 20/ 06 / 2015 Signature Le Thi Quynh Chi i ABSTRACT This study investigates issues relating to teaching English using MI classroom activities at some primary schools in Hue city. It aims to explore primary teachers’ perceptions and use of MI classroom activities.
In addition, the study also investigates the difficulties faced by the teachers in using MI classroom activities. The data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations. Fifty primary teachers in Hue city participated in the study. The collected data identified the teachers’ perceptions and use of MI classroom activities.
The findings reveal that most of the teachers had positive perceptions toward using MI classroom activities. Moreover, they had applied some MI classroom activities and recognized the effectiveness of those activities. In particular, some typical MI classroom activities such as summarizing the information learned in a lesson, group work, choral or individualized reading were preferred. Furthermore, some difficulties faced by the primary teachers were revealed and some suggestions were mentioned.
ii Acknowledgements [ Especially, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Assoc.Le Pham Hoai Huong for her patient guidance, enthusiastic encouragement and useful critiques at every stage of the development of this study. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to all the college librarians for their enthusiasm. Also, I am indebted to all the teachers in…primary schools for providing me with the most favorable conditions to collect the needed data. Finally, I am grateful to my family and my friends who have their own ways for supporting me during the process of conducting this paper.
iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages Contents SUB COVER PAGE STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. vii LIST OF TABLES.
viii LIST OF FIGURES. ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION. Background of the research. Significance of the research.
Scope of the research. Structure of the research .4 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW. Multiple Intelligences Theory. Multiple Intelligences and classroom activities.
Definition of young learners. Characteristics of young learners. Multiple Intelligences and English language teaching. The importance of using Multiple Intelligences classroom activities in teaching English to young learners.
Some criticism on the MI theory. The areas of MIT that needs further exploration .20 iv CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY. Data collection tools. Procedure of data collection .24 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.
Findings and discussion. Teachers’ perceptions of Multiple Intelligences classroom activities. Teachers’ understanding about MI theory at some primary schools in Hue city. Teachers’ perceptions of Multiple Intelligences.
Promoting students’ multiple intelligences through MI classroom activities. Teachers’ awareness of developing students’ intelligences. Teachers’ evaluation of students’ attitudes to MI activities in their classrooms. Teachers’ evaluation of the effectiveness of using MI classroom activities.
Teachers’ responses to the necessity of applying MIT activities in primary classrooms. Teachers’ use of MI classroom activities. Realities of using MI classroom activities at some primary schools in Hue city. The use of teaching aids at primary classroom.
The frequency of MI classroom activities diversification at some primary schools in Hue city. Difficulties faced by teachers in using MI classroom activities .40 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FURTURE STUDY. Summary of the research. Teachers’ perceptions of MI classroom activities.
Teachers’ use of MI classroom activities. Difficulties faced by teachers in using MI classroom activities. For school administrators. For the primary schools.
For primary teachers. Suggestions for the further research. 51 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Multiple Intelligences MI Multiple Intelligences Theory MIT vii LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1 Promoting students’ multiple intelligences through MI classroom activities .2 Teachers’ evaluation of students’ attitudes to MI activities in their classrooms .3 The frequency of MI classroom activities diversification at some primary schools .4 Difficulties faced by teachers in using MI classroom activities .5 Difficulties faced by the observed teachers. 40 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4.1 Teachers’ understanding of the Multiple Intelligences Theory .2 Teachers’ perceptions of Multiple Intelligences .3 Teachers’ awareness of developing students’ intelligences .4 Teachers’ evaluations of the effectiveness of using MI classroom activities .5 The necessity of applying MIT activities in primary classrooms.6 Means of frequency of the clusters .7 The use of teaching aids in primary classrooms .35 ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.
Background of the research Children are the future of the country. Along with the development of the country, children are better cared by the government, society and family. Especially, environmental education plays an extremely important role because it helps recognize and develop the intelligence and talent of young generation in various fields. However, the criteria for evaluating traditional intelligence is IQ tests that are no longer accurate (Makini, 2012).
Those tests only measure a narrow range of verbal and mathematical abilities. Therefore, the Multiple Intelligence theory is very important to modern education because its main point is that every individual has nine intelligences and they all work together in a unique way. The theory of Multiple Intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, a professor of education at Harvard University, and it was published in the book Frames of Mind: Theory of Multiple Intelligences.
In the book, he looks at intelligence from a wider perspective than ever before. He points out that human talents and intelligences are so much more than the traditional I.Q tests had shown. It is no longer a question of how intelligent people are; it is how their intelligence works. He presented a new vision on intelligence and the theory is a pluralistic view of mind which is recognized many different sides of cognition and cognitive styles.
Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that people have different cognitive strengths (Gardner, 2006). Gardner’s ideas of intelligence shows us that children learn differently from the others , for example, be excellent in Math but be weaker in learning languages and vice versa. Therefore, it is necessary to have a variety of approaches and activities. For English teachers, the understanding of the Multiple Intelligences is so important.
Teachers can recognize the ability of each student in order to have the suitable methods in teaching. Accordingly, we can get the good results as well as 1 reveal special abilities of each student to help them develop in all sides. Besides, in each lesson, we should encourage children to develop their intelligences and combine intelligences together instead of focusing on only one kind of intelligence for all students. In my opinion, English teachers’ perceptions and using of Multiple Intelligences activities are the solutions to improve the effectiveness of teaching.
The reasons above have urged me to choose the topic “An investigation into English teachers’ perceptions and use of Multiple Intelligences activities at some primary schools in Hue city”. Rationale This research was carried out for the following reasons: Firstly, the problem of language classroom is in practice. The theory of Multiple Intelligences includes the notion that each person is smart in all nine types of intelligence. Each child has a unique profile.
He is stronger in some ways and less developed in others. By broadening teachers’ view of intelligences, teachers can foster each and every intelligence, and make these opportunities available to every child in their classrooms. Moreover, as children do not learn in the same way, they cannot be assessed in a certain manner. Therefore, it is important that a teacher is aware of the intelligence of each student.
By knowing how each student learns, teachers can assess the child’s progress properly (Lazear, 1992). Secondly, it is important for teachers to know how to work with the different intelligences and be able to use various teaching methods. The activities have to be not only suitable for the students but also good to work with different intelligences together. Therefore, the children also develop the intelligences that they are still weaker in.
Moreover, understanding the numerous ways that children acquire knowledge enables teachers to use a variety of strategies to reach children with different types of intelligence (Campbell, 2008) Thirdly, there are several difficulties which hinder the implication of multiple intelligences activities in the language classroom and education in general .The most obvious factor among these obstacles is the overcrowded classrooms 2 which prevent the teachers from considering and responding to their young learners’ individual needs and learning styles. Therefore, teaching strategies are offered for English teachers to make learning more efficient, successful, and enjoyable for all children. Each of intelligence can be developed and used within a specific learning or teaching frame in order to enhance the learners’ input and output of language. Research questions The study attempts to answer the following questions: 1.
What are English teachers’ perceptions of Multiple Intelligences classroom activities? 2. How are Multiple Intelligences classroom activities used in primary classes? 3. What are some difficulties faced by English teachers in using Multiple Intelligences classroom activities? 1. Significance of the research The research is hoped to help English primary school teachers realize the important role of Multiple Intelligences in teaching English to children.
Personally, by doing this research, the researcher can also develop the knowledge, adopt and adapt the creative innovative techniques in teaching English to young learners. Furthermore, the suggestions of the study might be useful for primary school teachers. Besides, it may inspire further studies about using Multiple Intelligences activities in teaching English in the primary classroom. Scope of the research The research just focuses on the perceptions of English primary school teachers about Multiple Intelligences, some classroom activities to foster young learners’ Multiple Intelligences and the difficulties that teachers will face in recognizing and foster learners’ Multiple Intelligneces.
In addition, the data for this research will be collected from English teachers at some primary schools in Hue city only. Structure of the research This thesis consists of five chapters: Chapter 1: Introduction – Presents the background, the rationale, the aims, the research questions, the scope, and the significance, the structure of the thesis. Chapter 2: Literature Review – Provides key definitions and concepts relating to this study and presents previous research projects related to the topic Chapter 3: Research Methodology – Points out the information related to the methods used in the research such as methodology, participants, and produces of the research and data collection. Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion – Reports and analyzes the results of the investigation.
Chapter 5: Conclusion- Summarizes the result of the study and gives some implications for teachers, policy makers and future researchers. 4 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. Introduction In this chapter, firstly, I will define a key term of the study including the Multiple Intelligences Theory (MIT). Secondly, I will present the relationships between MIT and English language teaching; MIT and classroom activities.
Thirdly, the importance of applying MIT to teaching English by using MI classroom activities at primary schools in Vietnam will be focused. Next, some criticisms on MIT will be mentioned. Finally, I will review some previous studies and researches on MI theory applications conducted both inside and outside Vietnam. Multiple Intelligences Theory There are several ways of defining intelligence from the past to present.
Many psychologists have made an effort to define and measure human intelligences. Francis Galton was one of the psychologists who believed that intelligence was inherited and could be measured (Gardner, 1999). He built up IQ (Intelligent Quotient) test in the early 19th century. Therefore, “intelligence is defined as the ability to answer items on tests of intelligence” (Gardner, 1999).
In other words, the traditional description of human intelligence depended on the basic of linguistic and logical-mathematical abilities (Richards & Rodgers, 2001).