The implications of multiple intelligences theory on literacy education at first grade

Background: Multiple Intelligences theory (MITE was developed as an account of human cognition. Gardner (1993) asserts that MIT is very important and beneficial for educational implications. Different studies supports that there are potentials to enhance the educational practices through MIT (Harvard Project Zero, 2004) and positive effects occur on students, teachers, and parents. The initial findings of the studies support the idea that implementations of NUT for a year have constructive effects on all individual in teaching and learning process (Saban, 2002). However, the study of the effects of MIT on 1(st) graders' Literacy Education (LE) is somewhat rare or left unstudied while the research literature abounds with the effects of the principles of MIT on different subjects in different grades. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of the present study was to find out whether the implementation of MIT has any effect on Literacy Education (LE) and to explore first graders' tendency towards the course and the teachers. Methods: The qualitative data were gathered from one 1(st) grade classroom with 26 students, five 1(st) grade teachers from Baskent University College Ay e Abla Schools, and four 1(st) grade teachers from Gazi University Foundation Private Primary School. Data collected through interviews, observations, students' drawings and writings about the LE, students' portfolios, photographs, written document and Teele Inventory for Multiple Intelligences (TIMI) and analyzed by employing descriptive and content analysis techniques. Findings: Results underlined the fact that the effects of the MIT on the 1(st) graders' LE and tendency towards the course and their teachers were positive. Also, some variations were observed in terms of the students' multiple intelligences throughout the LE. Conclusions: MIT makes its greatest contribution to education by means of suggesting the idea that there are various ways to learn (Armstrong, 1994), The major impact of this study is about positive contribution of MIT on 1(st) graders' LE in terms of students' and teachers' tendencies towards the course and each others. Besides, it makes a difference in relation to developing students' multiple intelligences. Therefore, teachers should encourage students to participate in not only learning activities aimed at their dominant domain of intelligence but also learning activities aimed at their weak domain of intelligence in order to improve their intelligences in a holistic manner.