Improving Class Environment and Student Engagement through Multiple Intelligence - Based Teaching Strategies in High Schools English Classes

The present paper describes how the use of multiple intelligence based teaching strategies creates a more lively class environment and increases students’ involvement. My students, who were first graders in Farzanegan High school, usually felt bored in their English class especially vocabulary lessons because the traditional teaching-learning habits such as trying to learn by heart or learning passively through the teacher’s explanations were in use. Reviewing research conducted on Multiple Intellingences (MI) implementation in English classes, I began action research which included applying MI-based vocabulary teaching-learning techniques and observing my class so as to elicit my students’ positive response through their engagement with class activities. My action research aimed at finding the answer to the question: “Does integrating MI into my English classes create a more lively atmosphere in class, and if so, how?” Integrating multiple intelligences to my teaching and exposing the students to different kinds of vocabulary teaching activities resulted in a fresher environment where students were more active and enthusiastic about participating in class activities. In this study, I suggest that teachers should be able to use Multiple Intelligences based teaching strategies as an alternative to traditional teaching strategies in motivating students and creating enjoyable learning environments.