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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/6874 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Weber, Ellen |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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