The Theory of Multiple Intelligences and its potential applications in Education, Coaching and the Workplace

For years there has been much discussion about the education system and methods of assessment though there has been little change in way we teach and expect students to make their way through higher education or vocational training. Educators such as Sir Ken Robinson have written much about creative education and changing the current system of assessment. Achievement in terms of academic qualification is of importance in many professional fields. High grades are seen to be evidence of intelligence. But what of other strengths or aptitudes for careers? What is intelligence itself? If we consider intelligence as aptitude or ability we should look more closely at what the concept of intelligence is.  Employers need workers who are creative problem solvers, empathetic, good communicators and collaborators in the field. In this article my aim is to explore how Professor Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences  (Gardner, 1993) can be applied to education and the workplace in order to prepare young people for future careers and also how creative methods could make a difference to learning and the workplace.

 The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

How should we teach young people to become successful leaders, workers,  managers and entrepreneurs by developing their different aptitudes? Prof. Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences gives us a framework to look at ways in which we can understand and help develop the abilities of  individuals. Howard Gardner is the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor in Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is the author of over thirty books, hundreds of articles, and is best known for his Theory of Multiple Intelligences, a model which presents a view that intelligence goes far beyond the traditional verbal, linguistic and logical and mathematical measurements. In this body of work, he has discussed student-directed learning, multiple intelligences, and a different approach to assessment in an interview which can be read here.

If this thinking can be incorporated into schools and teaching, I believe we can make a difference in the way that young people and students can be appreciated and developed. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences is based on the concept that we have nine frames of intelligence. These affect how a person learns and works.

The nine intelligences are:

1. Verbal-linguistic intelligence (well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms of words)

2. Logical-mathematical intelligence (ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical and numerical patterns)

3. Spatial-visual intelligence (capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly)

4. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (ability to control one’s body movements and to handle objects skillfully)

5. Musical intelligences (ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber)

6. Interpersonal intelligence (capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others)

7. Intrapersonal (capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes)

8. Naturalist intelligence (ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature)

9. Existential intelligence (sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence such as, What is the meaning of life? Why do we die? How did we get here?

These intelligences (or competencies) relate to a person’s unique mix of aptitudes and ways they might prefer to demonstrate intellectual abilities. VARK learning styles are a very simplistic embodiment of this theory. Potential can be tied to one’s preferences to learning. Gardner’s focus on human potential lies in the fact that people have a unique blend of capabilities and skills (intelligences). This model can be used to understand overall personality, preferences and strengths. Gardner states that people who have an affinity toward one of the intelligences do so in concert with the other intelligences as “they develop skills and solve problems”. So each one of us is a different mixture of intelligences which is what makes us unique. If the model can be incorporated into methods of assessment and learning then we can utilise far more potential in students. Furthermore, it would give students more confidence as various talents or strengths become recognised and they gain confidence to then improve areas of weakness. If we all had the same intelligence we could be taught in exactly the same way. But once we realise that people have different mixes of aptitudes – some may prefer logical thought and reasoning, some understand through reading, some through hands on exploration and experimentation – we can see that to expect everyone to learn the same way would be unfair.

For example:

Linguistic Intelligence: Learning style : Words and language – written and spoken words,  interpretation and explanation of ideas and information via language. Understanding relationship between communication and meaning. (2)

Roles: Copywriters, editors, historians, journalists,  lawyers, linguists, poets,  PR and media consultants, speakers,  teachers, professors, translators

Methods of Assessment:  Peer editing of papers, give a presentation/speech,  list the strengths and weaknesses of a product, write a speech, write copy for marketing a product, conducting an interview, translating a report or speech.

 Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence: Learning style: Body movement control, eye and body coordination, manual dexterity,  physical agility and balance.

Roles:  anthropologists,  athletes, biologists, dancers, geologists,  instrumentalists, nurses,  physical education teachers, physical therapists, physicians, actors,  sign-language interpreters

Methods of assessment : arrange items in the workplace, demonstrate a sports technique,  designing a display,  prepare samples for magnification and testing,  put together a model, certain types of sport.

 These are illustrative examples, but if we could incorporate creative teaching techniques which embody the different intelligences such as presentations, speeches to peers,  group work for performance subjects and practical application for sciences, practical assessments such as interviews for history, role play, discussions and media submissions students are likely to remember a lot more of what they learn and by giving credit for these methods in assessment and reducing the burden of examination based teaching and assessment alone, learners with varying aptitudes could be better encouraged. We need to go about teaching and assessing material in a more creative and interesting manner so that we can address all the intelligences and the interplay of strengths in education and at work.

 Education and Coaching Applications

It is advised that when young, students well-roundedness should be encouraged, but as they get older, more focus on what one is really interested in or good at is more sensible as time becomes more precious. Applying Prof Gardner’s theory to education, we should be celebrating the diversity of learners and providing them with opportunities to utilize the various types of intelligence; not just the verbal and mathematical elements. An example of teaching physics this way would be to learn equations through reciting them as poems or songs (for musical learners) or drawing mind maps in colour for visual learners. Using theory applied to a practical project would further enhance the learning process (kinesthetic). The visualization in memory palaces is also an application of this (spatial). Mixing up methodologies would also require teachers to have an understanding of creative methods. 

Having worked in educational consultancy, career coaching, mentoring and psychometrics, over the past 15 years, I have gained deeper insights into how schools, universities and employers around the world assessed students  and also how well (or not) people were prepared for higher education and careers. I founded a coaching and consulting business because I felt it was important to help people discover their aptitudes and realize their potential which would otherwise be restricted due to the standardized approach to selection and to help employers find better ways to develop and manage their staff. I have worked with students at various stages to teach them ways of improving their skills for learning and strategies to improve their approach to future study. But it is a challenge to impress upon young people about the future benefits of applying these methods as most are focused on achieving the next educational goal through high scores, or tests to gain entry into the next career opportunity, due to the system of assessment used for these fields.

 Each person is different and has varying potential because the mix of their aptitudes is unique.  When teaching students at school, the same approach is used for everyone and the method of assessment is the same. It is not easy to differentiate teaching in a classroom. The problem we face is that schools are teaching towards the same standardized tests/exams which do not encourage much critical thought, differentiation of learning or creative application. In fact the assessment and study workload by the end of school is enough to kill off any creative aptitudes. Creativity in students is usually not rewarded, though innovative entrepreneurs and those who bring revolutionary ideas to their fields, are usually creative people. Standardized tests are well embedded into selective UK secondary schools entry.  Entry to grammar schools and independent schools are usually based on sets of cognitive tests. Children as young as 10 years old practice for these before taking entrance exams. Then come GCSEs at 16 and A levels at 18 which bring further pressures of extra tutoring and large amounts of exam practice. What we need is more creativity and practical developments in the curriculum to enable quality learning.

 Excellent Sheep

Students are getting better at passing tests/ exams or being ‘excellent sheep’ as noted by Prof Deresiewicz (2015) in his book of the same name and working for the grades but the quality of their learning and therefore their ability to apply it usefully later on in a career is not always assured.  It is becoming so stressful to pass competitive entry to university that this was making people depressed and unhappy. At a recent conference I attended, a speaker from the HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) presented a survey which showed that over 60% of university students in the UK were unhappy. The internet and computing technology has revolutionized learning for all of us; but the teaching curriculum and methods of assessment remain largely unchanged. Students who are not logical/ mathematical, linguistically inclined  or have different learning needs will largely be overlooked as  teaching cannot be sufficiently adjusted for them. Attainment in exams is highly prized and other aspects of learning and skill development have a lesser priority as the higher education system rewards grade achievement with little appreciation of other non cognitive skills. However, being good at exams alone will not help if one is not creative enough to apply that knowledge to solve real world problems or invent better ways of doing things. For this we need to utilise other facets of intelligence to become more spatial, intrapersonal, creative and maybe existential. We need to offer other opportunities to develop a passion for exploring and learning material that can lead to useful applications. By lessening the burden of assessment and increasing the freedom of teachers to educate in creative ways, through practical projects and work-based case studies catering to various aptitudes, genuine interest in the material being learned could make a difference.

 Workplace and Career Applications

In work life, we need to refer, seek collaboration and present ideas all the time; studying theory alone will not be enough. In the workplace, we need people with creative vision, problem solving strategy, critical thinking, interpersonal skills, language skills, communication/speaking skills. These are the transferable skills many employers ask for. Computer programmers need to learn the practical aspects of coding, scientists need to learn how to present and evaluate a hypothesis or prove a theory in practice, doctors need to apply their knowledge to real life diagnosis, engineers need to learn to design and build, mathematicians should know how to apply maths to real life finance and business. They all need to learn to work in teams. We need to teach students these values and develop these facets of intelligence during school and university in order for them to be able to contribute usefully to society later on.

 At job selection interviews many employers use standardized questionnaires and tests to guide their selection just like at school. Having worked in assessment consultancy, I am quite familiar with this process. Whilst I believe the use of psychometrics is a useful tool to assess aptitudes, or job fit (situational judgement), results should be reviewed alongside the personal interviews, skills presented and future contribution potential. In coaching,  there is an opportunity to work individually with clients to help them become more self aware of their strengths and aptitudes and how to utilise these to find learning more rewarding or work they love. For corporate clients, it is a chance to help them assess their selection process and coach/train managers on how best to select and develop their staff. Using frameworks such as Gardner’s theory can change the way in which staff are trained and the way in which leadership and team roles are assigned by understanding the learning and work aptitudes of those involved. For the self employed, awareness of one’s intelligences or aptitudes can help run a business more effectively with a clear idea of strengths and areas where help is needed.

Being able to write and communicate well is another essential skill that all students including those going on to be engineers, scientists and study medicine need to master, as all these areas require writing up of research, discussion and presentation of projects.  Knowing your aptitudes can help with working to improve other weaker areas or seeking help. A creative musician or artist may not necessarily have an idea of managing the finances of a business. A brilliant programmer may not have the skills to sell or apply his work which involves communicating and selling his product (linguistic and interpersonal intelligence). Understanding these aptitudes or facets of intelligence is a necessary step in attempting to also develop those areas that are weaker.

 Applying the Theory of Multiple Intelligences to the workplace, we could encourage managers to appreciate the different strengths in their workforce and encourage teamwork with varying learning and working styles. Similar aptitudes would not help address tasks which required various skills mixes. Psychometric assessments have become more sophisticated at picking up an individual’s strengths and work styles, therefore enabling career goals to be set and competencies assessed. In coaching young people and adults in the workplace we need to help them understand their mix of work and leadership styles; to help utilise strengths whilst developing areas of weakness. Psychometric assessment in coaching can help towards identifying these aptitudes. Assessments can help with identifying career choices, personality types and leadership profiles. 

Leaders and managers need to develop intrapersonal, interpersonal and linguistic intelligences amongst the other aptitudes as they need to be able to inspire others, communicate well and lead by example.

Although it is almost impossible to expect detailed personalisation in classroom teaching, it is by understanding this sort of model that we can start to adapt and embrace changes to learning and assessment. In order for the status quo to change, decision makers need to work with educators to reflect changes in the way students are assessed along with higher education institutions and employers. It is only with collaboration that any change can be sought. As parents, educators and coaches we should all be aware of opportunities to explore an enhanced mindset well beyond the confines of logical, mathematical (IQ) intelligence or standardized assessment to develop young people for future careers.

 Further reading:

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. Basic books.

Gardner, H. E. (2000). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. Hachette Uk.

Gardner, H., & Hatch, T. (1989). Educational implications of the theory of multiple intelligences. Educational researcher, 18(8), 4-10.

Deresiewicz, W. (2015). Excellent sheep: The miseducation of the American elite and the way to a meaningful life. Simon and Schuster.