The Effects of Multiple Intelligences Instructional Strategy on the Environmental Awareness Knowledge and Environmental Attitude Levels of Elementary Students in Science Course

The aim of the research was to investigate the effects of Multiple Intelligences strategy
and traditional methods of instruction on elementary students’ environmental awareness
knowledge levels and their attitudes towards the environment. The pre/post-test control
group research model was used in this study. The research was carried out in 2009 – 2010
education-instruction year in an elementary school in Nigde, Turkiye. Totally 60 students
in two different classes in the 7th grade of this school participated in the study. The data
obtained in the study were analysed by the computer programme SPSS 15.0. The arithmetic means and standard deviations were calculated for each group. In order to test the significance between the groups, the t-test was used. The significance level was taken
as .05. The results of the research showed a significant difference between the environmental awareness knowledge levels and attitude scores of the experiment group
and the control group. It was also found out that the multiple intelligences instructional
strategy activities were more effective in the positive development of the students’
attitudes and their environmental awareness knowledge levels. At the end of the research,
it is revealed that the students who are educated by Multiple Intelligences instructional strategy have more environmental awareness knowledge levels and have a higher
motivation level than the students who are educated by the traditional methods of
instruction. It was also found out that the students participated in the experimental
process which multiple intelligences strategy was applied enjoyed the activities, had great
fun and they became more aware of the environmental issues.