Universidad Internacional de La Rioja Facultad de Educación Trabajo fin de máster Multip l e intelligences and learning strategies: a proposal to improve CLIL students’ results Presentadopor: Patricia GeySuazez Tipo de TFM: Interventionproposal Director/a: Mercedes Querol Julián Ciudad: Málaga Fecha: 2 3 /09/2016 Gey Suarez, Patricia ABSTRACT Nowadays the concept of intelligence has changed, and a significant number of schools are changing their educational approach around the world too. Similarly, foreign language acquisition has achieved a great importance in the majority of European curriculu m. It is for this reason that CLIL approach and the application of multiple intelligences (MI) theory are increasing their presence in the schools. We consider that both, CLIL approach and MI theory should work together, and we discover there are many dif ferent ways to do it. Consequently, the aim of our proposal is to make CLIL learners aware of their MI profile and be able to choose suitable learning strategies according to it. Our proposal is divided in several sections, providing CLIL learners with the opportunity of using their eight intelligences for learning a curriculum topic before learning about MI theory. It also includes a design to teach primary students about MI theory and how to choose learning strategies according to their MI profile, as wel l as questionnaires to assess the effectivity of our proposal when implemented. Therefore, this consists in the design of a CLIL module for primary education, two sessions about multiple intelligences theory and learning strategies and two questionnaires. To support our proposal, we have made a review of learning strategies, learning styles, MI theory and CLIL literature. We address the main features of all these concepts and explain the connection between MI theory and learning styles, and how both theorie s can support learning strategies selection. Finally, we contemplate the possibility of adapting the proposal to higher levels of education, subjects and topics. Secondary education students need learning strategies, as much as primary students do, and kn ow more about themselves which can be beneficial for MI profile awareness. Key words: Multiple intelligences, learning strategies, learning styles, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), primary education 1 Gey Suarez, Patricia TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 4 1.1. JUSTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH ................................ ................................ 5 1.2. BRIEF ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF THE ART ................................ ................ 7 1.3. OBJECTIVES ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 8 1.4. METHODOLOGY ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 8 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 8 2.1. LEARNIN G STRATEGIES ................................ ................................ ........................ 9 2.1.1. Definition of the concept ................................ ................................ ...................... 9 2.1.2. Learning strategies and academic results: ................................ ........................ 10 2.1.3. Learning styles and academic results ................................ ................................ 12 2.2. MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES ................................ ................................ ................ 13 2.2.1. Critiques against and in favour of MI theory ................................ .................... 13 2.2.2. Definition of intelligence ................................ ................................ ................... 15 2.2.3. MI profile ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 16 2.2.4. Common points of MI and learning styles ................................ ....................... 18 2.2.5. MI theory application in the classroom ................................ ............................ 19 2.3. HOW TO APPLY MI THEORY, LEARNING STYLES, AND LEARNING STRATEGIES IN A CLIL CONTEXT ................................ ................................ ............. 21 2.3.1 CLIL approach for bilingual contexts ................................ ................................ 21 2.3.2 Application of the theories: MI theory, learning styles and learning strategies in the CLIL context ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 24 3. INTERVENT ION PROPOSAL ................................ ................................ ...................... 25 3.1. TARGET GROUP ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 26 3.2. OBJECTIVES ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 26 3.3. METHODOLOGY OF THE PROPOSAL ................................ ................................ 27 3.4. INITIAL AND FINAL QUESTIONNAIRES ................................ ......................... 28 3.4.1. Design and validation ................................ ................................ ......................... 28 3.4.2. Distribution of the questionnaires ................................ ................................ .... 32 3.4.3 Data analysis: procedure ................................ ................................ .................... 32 3.5. DESIGN OF THE CLIL SESSIONS ................................ ................................ ........ 33 3.5.1. Objectives ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 33 1 Gey Suarez, Patricia 3.5.2. Methodology ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 34 3.5.3. Timing and planning ................................ ................................ .......................... 37 3.5.4. Sessions and activities ................................ ................................ ....................... 39 3.5.5. Assessment ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 47 3.6. MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES LESSONS ................................ ............................. 52 3.6.1. First lesson ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 52 3.6.2. Secon d lesson ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 54 4. DISCUSSION ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 56 5. CONCLUSION ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 57 6. FUTURE RESEARCH LINES AND LIMITATIONS ................................ ................... 59 7. REFERENCES ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 60 ANNEX I. “MI checklist for stude nts”. Teacher’s questionnaire ................................ 62 ANNEX II. Initial questionnaire. Students’ questionnaire ................................ ......... 64 ANNEX III. Final questionnaire ................................ ................................ ................... 68 AN NEX IV. Analysis of questionnaires: questionnaires’ results’ sheet ....................... 71 Annex V. Intelligences related to the questionnaires ................................ .................. 72 ANNEX VI. Validation of the questionnaires ................................ ................................ 73 ANNEX VII. KWL Chart ................................ ................................ ................................ 75 ANNEX X. Exp eriment: The greenhouse effect ................................ ........................... 76 2 Gey Suarez, Patricia LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Learning strategies for CLIL students ................................ ................................ ... 12 Table 2 Classroom activities for each intelligence ................................ ............................ 20 Table 3 Initial questionnaire matrix. ................................ ................................ ................. 30 Table 4 Final questionnaire matrix ................................ ................................ .................... 3 0 Table 5 Sessions’ matrix plan ................................ ................................ ....................... 38 - 39 Table 6 Stations of the first week ................................ ................................ .................. 4 1 - 42 Table 7 MI stations for Bodily - kinesthetic, linguistic and logical - mathematical intelligences ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 4 3 Table 8 Intrapersonal intelligence sheet ................................ ................................ ........... 4 5 Table 9 Rubric for the assessment of the advertisement ................................ ............ 48 - 49 Table 10 Folder checklist ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 5 0 Table 11 Self - assessment