AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES THEORY-BASED-TEACHING APPROACH IN THE SUBJECT OF ENGLISH AT SECONDARY LEVEL

Abstract

Every individual is different from each other inheriting different capabilities and abilities. Therefore, teaching and assessing them in the same way is unfair with their learning abilities and future success. The Multiple Intelligences theory (MI) by Howard Gardner uplifted different teaching techniques and assessment tools to be used in the classroom especially in second language, such as English. The major purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of MI-theory based teaching approach in the subject of English at secondary level. The objectives of the study were: to identify the effects of Traditional teaching approach in the subject of English at secondary level; to investigate the effectiveness of MI theory-based-teaching approach in the subject of English at secondary level; and to compare significance of MI theory-based-teaching approach with Traditional teaching approach on students’ academic achievement. Population of the study consisted of all female students of GGHS at secondary level in Peshawar. Sample comprises 02 GGHS, each in the rural and urban areas of District Peshawar. Total No. of students were 160 i.e., 80 from rural school and 80 from urban school. It was a quasi-experimental study that further used non-equivalent control group design. The pretest and posttest were used for data collection before and after the experiment. Data was collected through classroom teaching and was analysed through t-test for significance difference. This experiment was composed of two variables, Comparison variable and Experimental variable and experimental group received an experimental teaching of 2 weeks. The results showed no significant effects of traditional teaching approach in a diverse classroom in the subject of English and indicated that MI- theory based teaching approach is an effective teaching approach to entertain all the multiple intelligences of students in the subject of English and provide productive results in their academic achievement. It is highly recommended that while constructing an educational program or lesson plan teachers must consider multiple intelligences of students. Moreover, curriculum and policy makers should provide all the resources of MI-theory based teaching materials and make it compulsory to implement MI-based teaching approaches in public sector institutes.