Do Teachers React to "Multiple Intelligences"? Effects of Teachers' Stereotypes on Judgments and Expectancies for Students with Diverse Patterns of Giftedness/Talent

Abstract

This research examined how teachers' judgments, expectancies, and decisions were influenced by hypothetical students' patterns of giftedness and demographic characteristics. The study involved 158 prospective and experienced teachers who responded to six 1-page scenarios of students with varying backgrounds (gender, race, and socioeconomic status) and ability patterns (analytic, verbal, social, creative arts, motor, and control). Responses to each student included 25 trait ratings, judgments of appropriate programming and resources, and predictions of adult success. The findings indicate differential predictions of success, recommendations for programming and resources, and trait ratings for those with different patterns of giftedness and talent. For several trait ratings, teachers' reactions to ability patterns appeared to be magnified when the pattern was inconsistent with gender, race, or social class stereotypes. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that teachers may be sensitive to "multiple intelligences" (Gardner, 1983) if they are exposed to a sufficient range of information about individual students.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alamprese, J. , Erlanger, W. , & Brigham, N. (1988). No gift wasted: Effective strategies for educating highly able, disadvantaged students in mathematics and science, Vol. 1:Findings Washington, DC: Cosmos Corporation .

Brophy, J. & Good, T. (1974). Teacher-student relationships. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Dusek, J.R. (1975). Do teachers bias children's learning? Review of Educational Research, 45, 661-684.

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind. The theory of multiple intelligences . New York: Basic Books.

Guskin, S.L. , Peng, C-Y. J. & Majd-Jabbari, M. (1988). Teachers' perceptions of giftedness. Gifted Child Quarterly, 32, 216-221.

Guskin, S.L. , Zimmerman, E. , Okolo, C. , & Peng, C-Y. J. (1986). Being labeled gifted or talented: Meanings and effects perceived by students in special education programs. Gifted Child Quarterly, 30, 61-65. Hanninen, G.E. (1988). A study of teacher training in gifted education . Roeper Review, 10(3), 139-144.

Minner, S. (1990). Teacher evaluations of case descriptions of LD gifted children. Gifted Child Quarterly, 34, 37-45.

Peng, C.Y. , & Guskin, S.L. (1987). Developing a valid methodology for the study of prospective teachers' perceptions of giftedness and talent. Mid-western Educational Researcher, 8(13), 25-41.

Richert, E.S. , Alvino, J. , & McDonnell, R.C. (1982). National report on identification: Assessment and recommendation for comprehensive identification of gifted and talented youth. Sewell, NJ: Education Improvement Center-South.