Paper: Exploring How Teaching for Multiple Intelligence Using a Multiple Intelligence Teaching Approach Affected Student Achievement in an Undergraduate Nursing Education Programme in Ireland (19th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice)

Friday, 11 July 2008: 8:30 AM

Dr. Margaret Mary Denny, PhD, MPhil, BSc , School of Health Sciences , Department of Nursing, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland

Learning Objective 1: discuss the contribution of multiple intelligence (MI) to brain based approaches to teaching and learning in nurse education.

Learning Objective 2: examine the processes involved in implementing MI approaches, utilising a multiple intelligence teaching approach (MITA) in the classroom.

This study examines the concept of Multiple Intelligences (MI) and outlines Gardner's contention that the brain functions using eight intelligences, which can be employed to improve learning at an individual level. The theoretical paradigm underpinning this study is multiple intelligence theory (MI). The philosophical paradigm that guided the study is grounded in positivism. The research paradigm is quasi-experimental pretest posttest non-equivalent control group design. Two groups of second year undergraduate nursing students undertook the study, treatment group (n=26) and control group (n=18). The intervention for the treatment group involved using a five-phase model, developed by Weber (1999), known as a multiple intelligence teaching approach (MITA), while the control group received traditional teaching approaches. The multiple intelligence development assessment scale questionnaire (MIDAS), which includes three intellectual style scales (IS) was used over the three phases of the study to profile participants MIs and to ascertain if MITA affected treatment group scores on MIDAS MI and IS. The independent variable was method of instruction, that is, MITA and traditional teaching approaches. The dependent variable was participants' ‘Nursing Practice Studies' exam results, other module exam results and MIDAS MI and IS score results. Data derived from these observations were analysed using various parametric and non-parametric methods, which were deemed appropriate for the study. Significant differences were found between groups with the treatment group out performing the control group in ‘Nursing Practice Studies' exam results. Findings on other module exam results also revealed some significant differences. The MIDAS MI and IS scores for both control and treatment groups revealed significant differences in participants' scores. In addition, significant changes on MIDAS MI and IS scores were observed within groups. The MITA intervention was evaluated using an instrument developed by the researcher (Evaluation of multiple teaching approach- EMITA).

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