Exploring How Teaching For Multiple Intelligence Affects Student Achievement In An Undergraduate Nursing Education Programme In Ireland.

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. On exploring the International and Irish literature to date, no data were found ascertaining the potential of MI or the adoption of such teaching approaches in nursing education. The philosophical paradigm that guided the study was grounded in positivism. The theoretical paradigm underpinning this study was multiple36intelligence theory (MI). The research paradigm was a quasi-experimental pretest posttest non-equivalent control group design.Two groups of undergraduate 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 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 and IS score results.Statistically significant differences were found between groups with the treatment group outperforming the control group in ‘Nursing Practice Studies’ exam results. Findings on other module exam results also revealed some statistically significant differences. The MIDAS and IS scores for both groups revealed significant differences in participants’ scores. The MITA intervention was evaluated and treatment participants related very positively about the approach. It is contended that MITA has great potential in education, particularly in terms of reinforcing learning beyond the educational domain.