The Effects of Implementation of the Multiple Intelligences Theory on Grade-7 Students' Attitudes toward and Perceptions of Science

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of implementation of student-centered activities based on multiple intelligences (MI) theory on grade-7 students' attitudes toward and perceptions of science. While the experimental group consisting of 25 students was taught a unit on the atom and atomic properties using strategies based on multiple intelligences theory, the control group with an equal number of students learned the same topic using traditional approaches. A 19-item Likert scale questionnaire involving "attitudes toward science" and "perceptions of science" (QAPS) was administrated to both experimental and control groups as pretest and posttest. The results of statistical analysis (MANCOVA) on the posttest scores indicated that there were significant differences favoring the experimental group with respect to students' attitudes toward and perceptions of science. Also, chi-square analyses for each item in the QAPS at the end of the study showed that there were significant differences favoring students in the experimental group based on 5 items. Hence, it is concluded that strategies founded on MI theory are more effective in improving students' attitudes toward and perceptions of science than traditional teaching. Appended are: (1) Questionnaire of Attitudes toward Science; and (2) Questionnaire of Perceptions of science. (Contains 7 tables.)