You will have a research paper due this week on Howard Gardner. The paper will be broken down in
4 sections. They are as follows:
First section: Background (40 points)
The theory of multiple intelligences, developed by psychologist Howard Gardner in the late 1970’s and
early 1980’s, posits that individuals possess eight or more relatively autonomous intelligences.
Individuals draw on these intelligences, individually and corporately, to create products and solve
problems that are relevant to the societies in which they live. The eight identified intelligences
include linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, musical
intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, naturalistic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and
intrapersonal intelligence
Second section: Review of Issues and pseudo-issues (40 points)
(A false or spurious problem; (Philosophy) a problem which cannot be properly answered, especially
because it arises only as the result of an error of analysis or a mistaken assumption.) spawned by the
theory
The Multiple Intelligence theory has drawn considerable attention, primarily from psychologists and
educators. The attention has come in many forms, from scholarly critiques regarding the development,
scope, and empirical basis of the theory, to educational curricula that claim to develop children’s
intelligences in an optimal way. This attention has led to new developments in the theory and promising
practical applications in the classroom. Yet, several reviews and critiques of MI theory reveal
misunderstandings regarding its empirical foundation and theoretical conception of human cognition. In
this section, we use these misunderstandings as a springboard for exploring the theory in greater depth,
with the purpose of illuminating its major claims and conceptual contours.
PART 3: Scholarly Work in the wake of MI theory
20 (40 points)
Since its inception the theory of multiple intelligences has been a subject of scholarly inquiry and
educational experimentation. We here examine three major fronts: research, assessment, and
educational interventions.
PART 4: Conclusion: Looking ahead (40 points)
Overall, what does the future look like for MI. What are some of the pros and cons of MI?
