This study drew upon a constructivist and Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence view of learning, to develop an interactive curriculum development model involving high school students and teachers. Eight grade ten students contributed in a central way to the study, a factor precipitated by my intention to emphasize students’ perspectives concerning their individual abilities and interests, and the way in which the high school curriculum did or did not accommodate these. Four grade ten teachers also participated in the task of identifying the degree to which students’ individual differences can be accommodated in an integrated high school curriculum. The study, conducted over a ten-month period during one school-year, addressed three questions. 1) What is the nature of the curriculum development process when high school students and teachers in their classroom practices, apply ideas congruent with Multiple Intelligence Theory, in order to address individual student differences, within the traditional constraints of a high school? How can these processes be incorporated into a model? 2) What was the role of the students in the development of the Multiple Intelligence Theory Application Model? and, 3) What was the role of the teachers in the development of the Multiple Intelligence Theory Application Model? My response to these questions involved the monitoring of students’ perspectives concerning their interests and abilities as reflected by both their current curriculum and the integrated curricular unit prepared by the teachers. The students’ and teachers’ perspectives are discussed and examined by means of in-depth interviews, interactive group discussions, and field notes and documentation of the collaborative processes involved in developing the integrated curriculum unit. The analysis of the findings suggests that change within the curriculum content, consistent with a constructivist and MI view of learning, would enable students to develop further their individual differences. Such change is endorsed particularly by the high school student participants. The study also examines the usefulness of the MITA Model as a means of initiating that change, within an integrated studies context. Finally, I suggest a number of related issues for further research. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

M.A. Florida State College for Women 1930

In a commonly held view, creativity and intelligence interact in a mutually enhancing way. Their interaction, however is assumed to be slight and relatively unimportant, and to find its ceiling at a certain IQ level. Beyond this IQ ceiling, no interaction is believed to occur, and the two variables are assumed to be independent. It is suggested that this view and those theorists who hold it do little to explain the reason for the ceiling effect. An attempt is made to devise a theoretical system which accounts for a explains the ceiling effect, as well as providing new ground for the synthesis of existing experimental data from a wide range of related fields. The theoretical system is based upon the hypothesis that an environmental variable acts to suppress increased potential for creativity accompanying increases in intelligence level, and that this variable is able in effect to cancel the higher potential for creativity which may exist among those above the ceiling level of intelligence. The research is reviewed in search of any support for or critical refutation of the hypothesis and its corollaries, and suggestions are made as to the possible mediators of the suppressor-variable effect. It is concluded that the suppressor-variable hypotheses, provides a useful means of bringing together widely diversified bodies of research data, and accounts for the ceiling effect without violating logical and initiative conceptions of intelligence and creativity.

Extensive research has been conducted in the area of intelligence. Most of the research in this area has been focused on cognitive abilities. However, little research has been explored other type of intelligence and the environmental factors. The intent of this study was to investigate Sternberg’s Theory of Intelligence and parental involvement. According to this theory an individual’s intelligence is composed of three main domains: cognitive, creative and practical. Every individual possesses these abilities to a greater or lesser degree. Yet, little is known of what factors could lead to the difference in these types of abilities in individuals. Parental involvement was used in this study as the independent variable. The main question this research sought to answer was whether parental involvement would have an effect on these types of abilities. It was hypothesized that individuals with less parental involvement would score have higher creative and practical abilities. On the other hand, individuals with greater parental involvement would have higher cognitive abilities. The result did not indicate that parental involvement had an effect on these types of abilities. However, it was found that females reported more parental involvement than males. In addition, males score higher on the cognitive and practical subtest. Although, the results were not significant in the study. I believe is still of great interest to understand what environmental factors could be responsible for these types of abilities.

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