An Analysis of the Relationship between Multiple Intelligences and Creative Thinking among Students

All humans have various kinds of intelligences, only the amount and method of their combination differs. Thus, educational systems should provide the foundation for the development of these intelligences. The main purpose of this research was the analysis of the relationship between multiple intelligences and creative thinking among students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The present research was a descriptive correlative study. The statistical population of the research included all students of the 2012-2013 academic years, from among which 129 were selected by random stratified sampling method. The data collection tools consisted of the Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire with 70 questions and the Creative Thinking Questionnaire with 20 questions based on a 5-point Likert scale. Content validities of the questionnaires were confirmed by experts. The reliability coefficients of the Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire and the Creative Thinking Questionnaire were obtained through Cronbach's alpha as 0.84 and 0.87, respectively. Collected data was analyzed through inferential statistics (correlation coefficient, Student's t-test, variance analysis, and regression analysis) using SPSS software. Research findings revealed that mean of multiple intelligences and creative thinking components of the students were higher than average. The highest mean was related to the rational and mathematical intelligence. Moreover, there was a positive relationship between the components of multiple intelligences and creative thinking. Through the growth of multiple intelligences components, the grounds can be set for the growth of creative thinking in students, and thus, students can play their role as creative and innovative students in the development and growth of society.