Do Multiple Intelligences Improve EFL Students’ Critical Reading Skills?

Abstract

This study examines the potential effect of a program based on multiple intelligences on improving the Jordanian tenth grade English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ critical reading skills in English. The researcher claims that multiple intelligences strategies have the potential to provide a suitable resource to empower the quality of TEFL in Jordan. The study follows a quasi- experimental design in which an experimental group and a control group were purposefully chosen from AzZarqa First Directorate of Education (Jordan). In the experimental group, 30 students were taught by multiple intelligences strategies and 29 students of control group were taught by the conventional teaching method as outlined in the teacher’s book. A pre-post achievement test was utilized. The findings reveal statistically significant differences at (α ≤ 0.05) between the two mean scores of experimental and control groups in the post- test in favor of experimental group. The study recommends to examine the effect of using multiple intelligences on EFL students’ achievement in other language skills and sub skills. A number of implications are put forth to enhance the students’ critical reading ability.