MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY NGUYỄN HIỀN THANH NON-ENGLISH MAJORS’ MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES: A STUDY AT QUY NHON UNIVERSITY Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching Code: 8140111 Supervisor: Dr. Hà Thanh Hải Binh Dinh - 2023 BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN NGUYỄN HIỀN THANH HỒ SƠ ĐA TRÍ TUỆ CỦA SINH VIÊN KHÔNG CHUYÊN NGỮ: NGHIÊN CỨU TẠI ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN Ngành: Lý luận và Phương pháp dạy học bộ môn Tiếng Anh Mã số: 8140111 Người hướng dẫn: TS. Hà Thanh Hải i DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP I, the undersigned Nguyễn Hiền Thanh hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis “Non-English Majors’ Multiple Intelligences: A Study at Quy Nhon University”. To the best of my knowledge this thesis contains no material previously published by any other person except where due acknowledgement has been made.
This thesis contains no material which has been accepted as part of the requirements of any other academic degree or non-degree program, in English or in any other language. Binh Dinh, 2023 Nguyễn Hiền Thanh ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all those who have contributed to the completion of this master's thesis. Their support, guidance, and encouragement have been invaluable throughout this academic journey. First and foremost, words cannot express my gratitude togratitude to my thesis supervisor, Dr.
Hà Thanh Hải. This endeavor would not have been possible without his unwavering support, patience, and expertise. His guidance and insightful feedback have been instrumental in shaping the direction and quality of this research. I am truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work under his supervision.
Second, I would like to acknowledge and extend my thanks to the lecturers and professors who have imparted their knowledge and expertise during my Master course. Specifically, I would like to send my thankfulness to Assoc. Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền for her dedication to teaching and generosity in sharing knowledge in the course Academic Writing. This course has shaped my intellectual growth and laid a solid foundation in this research endeavor.
Third, I would like to express gratitude to the lecturers teaching the English 2 course in the academic year 2022 - 2023 and 203 first-year non-English majored students who enthusiastically supported me in the data collection process. Additionally, I could not have undertaken this journey without the tremendous support from Ms. Đoàn Thị An Hiên, who has been my lecturer and mentor since 2017. Her wholehearted encouragement and advice have provided me with strength during the challenging moments of this research journey.
iii I would also like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to my parents and beloved friends for their constant love, understanding, and encouragement. Their unconditional support and belief in my abilities have been a constant source of motivation throughout my academic pursuits. Lastly, I would like to thank myself for having courage to embark on this academic journey. Despite my initial lack of research knowledge, I was not disheartened and strive to bridge the gaps in my understanding.
iv ABSTRACT The research aim was to investigate the Multiple Intelligence (MI) profiles of EFL learners in a tertiary setting in Vietnam. It also aimed to identify the alignment level between the learners’ MI profiles and the available MI-based activities in the currently used textbook. To fulfill the aims, the study was carried out at Quy Nhon University with the enthusiastic participation of 203 first-year non-English majors as respondents. The data for the study was collected through a 5-Likert scale MI Inventory for students and content analysis of MI activities available in the currently used textbook - Voices.
The data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively, using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-test analysis in SPSS software. The findings revealed that among participants, the most prominent intelligences were Intrapersonal, Visual/Spatial, and Bodily-Kinesthetic, while the Verbal/Linguistic and Logical-Mathematical intelligences ranked the lowest. However, the dominant MI activities in the textbook Voices were Verbal/Linguistic and Logical-Mathematical intelligence, thereby considerably misaligning with the dominant intelligences of the learners. Gender differences were observed in Verbal/Linguistic, Musical, and Intrapersonal domains, but no significant differences were found in relation to age.
On that basis, some supplementing activities based on MI theory was proposed to bridge the disparity between students’ MI profiles and the textbook’s MI profiles and to enhance students’ English learning as well. This study also highlights the importance of considering learners' individual MI profiles and applications of MI theory in EFL teaching and learning. Keywords: Multiple Intelligences Theory, Multiple Intelligences (MI) Profile, Voices textbook, EFL learners, MI-based activities v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii ABSTRACT iv TABLE OF CONTENTS v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS viii LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES x Chapter 1 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1. Aim and objectives 3 1.
Aim of the research 3 1. Objectives of the research 4 1. Scope of the study 4 1. Significance of the study 4 1.
Organization of the study 5 Chapter 2 6 LITERATURE REVIEW 6 2. Concepts of intelligence 6 2. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner 8 2. Verbal Linguistics Intelligence 9 2.
Logical/Mathematical Intelligence 9 2. Visual/Spatial Intelligence 9 2. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence 10 2. Intrapersonal Intelligence 10 vi 2.
Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles 11 2. Application of MI theory in ELT 13 2. MI theory and English textbooks 14 2. Previous related studies on EFL learners’ MI profiles 16 Chapter 3 19 METHODOLOGY 19 3.
Research reliability and validity 26 Chapter 4 28 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 28 4. Multiple Intelligences profiles of first-year non-English majors at Quy Nhon University 28 4. Overview of MI profiles among students 28 4. Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence. Visual/Spatial Intelligence. Body-Kinesthetic Intelligence. Differences in multiple intelligences between male and female groups 42 vii 4.
Differences in multiple intelligences between age groups 44 4. MI profiles of the textbook “Voices” 45 4. Content Analysis of Activities in the Textbook “Voices” in light of MI Theory 46 4. Distribution of activities incorporating Multiple Intelligences Theory in the textbook Voices 55 4.
A comparison of Students’ MI profiles and Textbook’s MI profiles 56 4. Discussion of the findings 58 4. Students’ MI profiles 58 4. MI profiles of the textbook Voices 61 4.
Students’ MI profiles and Textbook’s MI profiles 63 CHAPTER 5 64 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 64 5. Recommendations for further work 68 REFERENCES 69 APPENDICES viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ELT - English Language Teaching EFL - English as a Foreign Language ESL - English as a Second Language MI - Multiple Intelligences ix LIST OF TABLES Table 3. Summary of the characteristics of the research participants 21 Table 3. Reliability of the MI questionnaire 27 Table 4.
Students’ MI profiles 29 Table 4. Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence Descriptive Analysis 31 Table 4. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence Descriptive Analysis 32 Table 4. Visual/Spatial Intelligence Descriptive Analysis 34 Table 4.
Body-Kinesthetic Intelligence Descriptive Analysis 35 Table 4. Musical Intelligence Descriptive Analysis 36 Table 4. Intrapersonal Intelligence Descriptive Analysis 39 Table 4. Naturalistic Intelligence Descriptive Analysis 41 Table 4.
Gender Representation regarding Students’ MI 42 Table 4. Age Representation regarding Students’ MI 44 Table 4. A sample of an MI analysis of the textbook Voices 47 Table 4. MI Profiles of the textbook Voices (Units 5 - 10) 55 Table 5.
Examples of suggested Classroom Activities involving MI theory66 x LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Students’ MI profiles in comparison with the Textbook’s MI profiles56 1 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION The introduction chapter helps lay background information for the issue discussed in this study. In addition, it is established with the framework of the thesis consisting of (1) rationale, (2) aim and objectives, (3) research questions, (4) scope of the study, (5) significance of the study, and (6) organization of the study. Rationale In the age of rapid global transformations, the role of English as a fundamental means of communication has become indispensable for individuals aspiring to become global citizens.
Therefore, over the last few decades, the demand for acquiring English as a second or foreign language has reached unprecedented levels of urgency. Concurrently, the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) has undergone a profound paradigm shift, transitioning from a teacher-centered approach to a student-centered approach. The former traditionally prioritized educational content delivery and emphasized the teacher’s role as an information provider, whereas the latter places greater emphasis on addressing the unique needs and learning styles of individual learners. This paradigmatic transformation has captured the attention of educators and prompted them to reevaluate their educational practices in response.
As a result of this shift in teaching and learning paradigms, the concept of individual differentiation has emerged as a novel topic of discussion. The multitude of ways in which individuals can be distinguished from one another has become a subject of investigation. Consequently, various categorizations have been proposed, highlighting the prominence of different types of intelligence in different individuals. The theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) was first introduced by Howard Gardner in 1983, proposing that there are several independent ability areas.
According to Gardner (1999), the eight intelligences are Verbal/Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Musical, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Visual/Spatial, and Naturalistic Intelligences. Gardner asserted that individual differences reflect multiple intelligences of human beings. In other words, each 2 individual each person possesses a unique intelligence profile that sets them apart from others. What the Multiple Intelligences theory offers is not only significant from a theoretical perspective but it also has important practical implications for teaching practice.
By leveraging the principles of Multiple Intelligences Theory, educators are empowered to provide personalized instruction by identifying students’ strong and weak intelligences and individualizing the learning process to help the students activate the intelligences that are less developed (Chapman, 1993). Specifically, Wilson (2005) stated that MI theory helps teachers develop an effective instruction methodology to promote understanding and learning appreciation of students. The classrooms can then be a place for the intellectual and emotional development of the students because all students are individuals with different talents. Gouws (2008) believes that by implementing the theory in the classroom, educators will be able to change their teaching and learning strategies and cater to the individual differences of learners.
Furthermore, Gardner's theory offered a wide variety of practical applications to teachers and educators in order to improve language classroom practices and match intellectual profiles with educational opportunities (Altan, 2001; Berman, 1998; Campbell, Campbell and Dickinson, 1996/1999; Chapman, 1993; Checkley, 1997; Christison, 1996). The Multiple Intelligences Theory application is not confined to learners’ intellectual types and classroom activities, but it can be observed in English textbooks, which have begun incorporating tasks that involve the MI theory in order to reflect the aforementioned shifts in the ELT field. Some previous studies, for instance, were conducted to investigate the extent to which designed English textbooks for foreign language learners reflect multiple intelligence types (Palmberg, 2001; Botelho, 2003; Alghazo et al. Within the Vietnamese education context, the application of Multiple Intelligences theory in ELT has received increasing attention from educators and researchers recently.
Don (2015) conducted research aiming to investigate the effect of using an MI-based training program on developing English-speaking skills for university students. In Hanh and Tien's (2017) study, the researcher discovered the 3 correlation between students’ multiple intelligences and their vocabulary learning strategy use and concluded that different intelligences correlated with different types of vocabulary learning strategy use. Besides, Tien and Hanh (2022) indicated in their study that some MI types had a positive impact on university students’ motivation towards English learning. Previous studies have primarily focused on the application of the Multiple Intelligences theory within the ELT field locally and internationally.
It is evident that there is a growing need for further research, particularly in the area of students' MI profiles and the alignment of these profiles with the activities of English textbooks incorporating MI theory.