Students can be gifted and talented in different ways, which may affect their methods of acquiring and applying knowledge and skills. This hypothesis became the base for the theory of multiple intelligences (MI) that has its supporters and critics (Shearer, 2020). This report will cover the key findings to support the necessity of a personalized approach to enhance the students’ performance and suggest specific instructional practices.
The theory of multiple intelligences may become a valuable tool for a teacher. It is proved by the research results summarized by Shearer. The scholar highlighted the following findings: the MI theory is “supported by neuroscience evidence” and applies to a wide “range of cognitive behaviors and preferences associated with gifted and talented individuals” (Shearer, 2020, p.50-52). Thus, teachers can utilize it to develop the students’ cognitive and creative abilities in various spheres.
Before I start changing a program or introducing new methods of instruction to accommodate the needs of gifted students, I would first conduct research to identify dominating types of intelligence of each student. Then I would create personal profiles for them and find out which intelligence type is prevailing in the group and which ones are rare and are necessary to develop. With this information in mind, I would start implementing new ways of presenting the material or changing their proportion. For instance, if spatial intelligence is prevailing in the group, I would increase the number of visual aids. In another case, if there are students with developed kinesthetic intelligence, I would think of ways to add body movements to stimulate their learning process.
In conclusion, the students have different abilities to acquire knowledge, and the instructors should do everything possible to facilitate the learning process. The theory of multiple intelligences offers ways to enhance the students’ performance by adapting the learning methods to their dominant intelligence types. Therefore, a teacher should check whether they address various intelligences in the learning process and review the procedures if they lack any.
Reference
Shearer, C. B. (2020). Multiple intelligences in gifted and talented education: Lessons learned from neuroscience after 35 years. Roeper Review, 42(1), 49-63. Web.