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Howard Gardner

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Howard Gardner
Gardner in 2013
Born
Howard Earl Gardner

(1943-07-11) July 11, 1943 (age 81)
Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationHarvard University (BA, PhD)
London School of Economics
Known forTheory of multiple intelligences
SpouseEllen Winner
Scientific career
FieldsPsychology, education
InstitutionsHarvard University
Websitewww.howardgardner.com

Howard Earl Gardner (born July 11, 1943) is an American developmental psychologist and the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard University. He was a founding member of Harvard Project Zero in 1967 and held leadership roles at that research center from 1972 to 2023. Since 1995, he has been the co-director of The Good Project.[1]

Gardner has written hundreds of research articles[2] and over thirty books that have been translated into over thirty languages. He is best known for his theory of multiple intelligences,[3] as outlined in his 1983 book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.[1]

Gardner retired from teaching in 2019.[4] In 2020, he published his intellectual memoir A Synthesizing Mind.[5] He continues his research and writing, including several blogs.

Early life and education

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Howard Earl Gardner was born July 11, 1943, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Ralph Gardner and Hilde (née Weilheimer) Gardner, German-Jewish immigrants who fled Germany in 1938 just prior to World War II.[6][7][8]

Gardner described himself as "a studious child who gained much pleasure from playing the piano".[9] Although Gardner never became a professional pianist, he taught piano intermittently from 1958 to 1969.[2]

Howard Gardner had a brother named Eric who died at age seven in a sledding accident just before Howard's birth.[8] Gardner often reflects on his childhood, his overall Jewish values and the tragic loss of his brother, whom he never got the opportunity to meet. Gardner "had an arduous time relating to his parents as well as his peers, while growing up".[8] As a young child Gardner enjoyed reading and playing the piano.[3]

Education was of the utmost importance in the Gardner home. While his parents had hoped that he would attend Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, Gardner opted to attend a school closer to his hometown in Pennsylvania, Wyoming Seminary. Gardner had a desire to learn and greatly excelled in school.[10]

Gardner graduated from Harvard College with highest honors in 1965 with a B.A. in Social Relations, and studied under the renowned Erik Erikson.[3] After spending one year at the London School of Economics, where he studied Philosophy and Sociology, he went on to obtain his Ph.D. in developmental psychology at Harvard while working with psychologists Roger Brown and Jerome Bruner, and philosopher Nelson Goodman.[6]

Gardner also attended the Harvard Medical and Boston University Research Centre. He completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship from 1971-1972.[11] Gardner continued to be high achiever throughout his academic life.[3]

Career

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Gardner in his earlier years

For his postdoctoral fellowship, Gardner worked alongside neurologist Norman Geschwind at Boston Veterans Administration Hospital and continued his work there for another 20 years.[2] In 1986, Gardner became a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.[11] He has been the Chair of the Project Zero Steering Committee since 1995, and was the Co- Director for Project Zero from 1972- 2000.[11] Gardner has also been Senior Director of the Project Zero Committee since 2000.[11] Gardner is also a part time lecturer at Harvard University in the field of Psychology.[11] Gardner is the John H. and the Elizabeth A. Hobbs Tutor at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University[12] (Arizona State University, 2022).

Since 1995, much of the focus of his work has been on The GoodWork Project, now part of a larger initiative known as The Good Project that encourages excellence, ethics, and engagement in work, digital life, and civic society.

In 2000, Gardner, Kurt Fischer, and their colleagues at the Harvard Graduate School of Education established the master's degree program in Mind, Brain, and Education. This program was thought to be the first of its kind around the world. Many universities in both the United States and abroad have since developed similar programs. Since then, Gardner has published books on a number of topics including Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People's Minds, Five Minds for the Future, Truth, Beauty and Goodness Reframed, and The App Generation (written with Katie Davis).[6]

Since 2012, Gardner has been co-directing a major study of higher education in the United States with Wendy Fischman and several other colleagues.[13] Information about the study, including several dozen blogs, is available on Gardner's website.[13] In March 2022, MIT Press published Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner's book The Real World of College: What Higher Education Is and What It Can Be.[14]

At the start of 2024, Gardner was the most cited Educational Scholar in the United States, according to the Edu-Scholar Public Influence Ratings.[15]

In 2024, Teachers College Press will publish two collections of Gardner’s papers: The Essential Howard Gardner on Education and The Essential Howard Gardner on Mind.[16]

Theory and criticism

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According to Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, humans have several different ways of processing information, and these ways are relatively independent of one another. The theory is a critique of the standard intelligence theory, which emphasizes the correlation among abilities, as well as traditional measures like IQ tests that typically only account for linguistic, logical, and spatial abilities. Since 1999, Gardner has identified eight intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.[17] Gardner and colleagues have also considered two additional intelligences, existential and pedagogical.[18][19] Many teachers, school administrators, and special educators have been inspired by Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.[20]

Gardner's definition of intelligence has been met with some criticism in education circles[21] as well as in the field of psychology. Perhaps the strongest and most enduring critique of his theory of multiple intelligences centers on its lack of empirical evidence, much of which points to a single construct of intelligence called "g".[22] Gardner has responded that his theory is based entirely on empirical evidence as opposed to experimental evidence, as he does not believe experimental evidence in itself can yield a theoretical synthesis.[23][24]

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences can be seen as both a departure from and a continuation of the 20th century's work on the subject of human intelligence. Other prominent psychologists whose contributions variously developed or expanded the field of study include Charles Spearman, Louis Thurstone, Edward Thorndike, and Robert Sternberg.

In 1967, Professor Nelson Goodman started an educational program called Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, which began with a focus in arts education and now spans a wide variety of educational arenas.[25] Howard Gardner and David Perkins were founding Research Assistants and later Co-Directed Project Zero from 1972 to 2000. Project Zero's mission is to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as a broad range of humanistic and scientific disciplines at the individual and institutional levels.[26]

Good Project founders: William Damon, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Gardner

For over two decades, in collaboration with William Damon, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and several other colleagues, Gardner has been directing research at The Good Project on the nature of good work, good play, and good collaboration. The goal of his research is to determine what it means to achieve work that is at once excellent, engaging, and carried out in an ethical way. With colleagues Lynn Barendsen, Courtney Bither, Shelby Clark, Wendy Fischman, Carrie James, Kirsten McHugh, and Danny Mucinskas, Gardner has developed curricular toolkits on these topics for use in educational and professional circles.[27]

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Howard Earl Gardner posited the 'Multiple Intelligences Theory' in 1983 at the Harvard Graduate School of Education at the University (Northern Illinois University, 2020). Gardner's work in psychology and cognitive development led to his curiosity in exploring this prominent theory (Northern Illinois University, 2020). Earlier in his theory he proposed that there were six intelligences, however to date there are nine intelligences which are known and, in the future, there is a possibility that more could be added (Northern Illinois, 2020). Multiple Intelligences Theory focuses on the fact that individuals will process information in various ways.[28] Teachers need to employ the use of varying strategies to guarantee that students are grasping learning concepts.[28] The nine multiple intelligences can be used as a guide so that teachers are cognizant of the different students who are in a class setting.[28] The nine intelligences are Verbal-Linguistic, Logical- Mathematical, Spatial-Visual, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist and Existential.[29]

The nine multiple intelligences can effect great change in a classroom and provide opportunities for children to convey what is being learned.[29] Learners who utilize the Verbal-Linguistic intelligence on a daily basis can use Language to express themselves clearly. They enjoy interacting with others and tend to have a good command of the Language that they do speak (Anglia, 2022). These learners enjoy reading and writing and have an excellent vocabulary.[28] Logical- Mathematical individuals have great reasoning skills, and love to solve mathematical calculations. These individuals are excellent with numbers and enjoy playing games that evokes their reasoning and critical thinking abilities.[28] Visual- Spatial persons enjoy using pictures to interpret information which is being learned.[28] These individuals learn best when pictures or videos are displayed, as they get a better understanding as to what is being taught. They love to draw, are very creative and have a great sense of direction when either driving or walking, as they easily can memorize landmarks.[28] Bodily-Kinesthetic learners, tend to use their bodies to convey how they are feeling. They have great coordination and love using objects when they are learning new concepts. These individuals also tend to love sports and other activities that permit them to be creative with their hands.[28]

Musical learners are capable of hearing sounds and can create mental patterns in their mind which allows them to process information easily.[28] They can get a concept and then invent a song. As Caribbean people Soca, Calypso, Dancehall or Reggae can be used, so that students remember particular concepts. Gracie's Corner, has amazing songs for early childhood students with great beats. These learners thoroughly enjoy anything with music.[28] Individuals with the interpersonal intelligence are very empathetic and sympathetic. These persons are good at reading person's emotions, and are often quite sociable.[28] These are individuals who have a wide circle of friends are very compassionate towards the opinions and behavioural traits of others and love conversing with new people.[28] Intrapersonal individuals are extremely self-aware (Northern Illinois University, 2020). These individuals are very cognizant in truly understanding the feelings of others in addition to themselves, and treating others how they want to be treated.[28] These persons tend to be intrinsically motivated, have boundaries and love to self-reflect.[28] Naturalist learners appreciate nature and learn best when they are amongst natural objects in nature.[29] These individuals love to spend time outside in nature and tends to love animals as well.[28] Individuals who learn best through the Existential intelligence, do a great job of asking thought provoking questions (Northern Illinois University, 2020). Deep questions such as Why do humans exist? Why are we living if God knows already how we will perform on earth? Why do people commit heinous crimes? These are some of the questions that are often pondered by these persons.[29] These individuals tend to be extremely sensitive.[29]

Gardner has stated, "there should be no confusion between the intelligences and learning styles as they are not the same, teachers should use numerous strategies and methods within the classroom environment, so that students can understand concepts".[29] He posited that there was not enough research to prove that when students are paired with their learning style they will learn. He opined that since persons process information differently the intelligences can aid practitioners, in preparing plans which caters to the needs of the different learners in the classroom.[29]  Instructional design is the implementation of creating vivid and meaningful real-life experiences which buttresses effective and efficient learning (Association for Talent Development, 2024). The Multiple Intelligences Theory is an effective method which can bring about meaningful change in a class setting as lessons are being prepared for the learners who process information in a variety of ways.[29] It is paramount to note that an individual may have more than one intelligence which is employed on a daily basis.[29] This is why teachers need to plan appropriately so that various learners can comprehend what is being taught.[29][30]

Gardner has had many critics over the years as they have stated that his theory contains intelligences which appear to be random, however many schools have implemented his approach (Corcho, 2013). Gardner is considered as one of the most living influential beings who has shaped instructional design throughout various areas all over the worlds (Concho, 2013). Gardner's theory has provided students with the possibility to be as creative as they need to be since learning is tailored for them (Concho, 2013). Teachers receive great results when Gardner's theory is employed within the classroom as children are grasping concept easily.[31] Many classrooms have incorporated Gardner's theory into their curricula as evidence has shown how useful his theory is with instructional design.[31]

Achievements and awards

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In 1981 Gardner was the recipient of a MacArthur Prize Fellowship. In 1990 he became the first American to receive the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Education.[32] In 1985, The National Psychology Awards for Excellence in the Media, awarded Gardner The Book Award for Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.[33] In 1987, he received the William James Award from the American Psychological Association.[34] SUNY Plattsburgh inducted Gardner selected Gardner for honoris causa membership in Omicron Delta Kappa in 1998. In 1999, Gardner received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[35] In 2000 he received a fellowship from the John S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Four years later he was named an Honorary Professor at East China Normal University in Shanghai. In the years 2005 and 2008 he was selected by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines as one of the top 100 most influential public intellectuals in the world.[36] In 2011, he won the Prince of Asturias Award in Social Sciences for his development of multiple intelligences theory.[36] In 2015, he received the Brock International Prize in Education.[37] In 2020, Gardner received the Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award from the American Education Research Association.[38]

He has received honorary degrees from 31 colleges and universities around the world, including institutions in Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, South Korea, and Spain.[39] He is also a member of several honorary societies: American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Philosophical Society,[40] National Academy of Education, and the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

Personal life

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In 1982, Howard Gardner married Ellen Winner, who is a developmental psychologist. Howard Gardner is married to Ellen Winner, Professor Emerita of Psychology at Boston College. They have one child, Benjamin. Gardner has three children from an earlier marriage: Kerith (1969), Jay (1971), and Andrew (1976); and five grandchildren: Oscar (2005), Agnes (2011), Olivia (2015), Faye Marguerite (2016), and August Pierre (2019).[9]

Gardner loves to spend time with his family as well as to travel.[7]

Publications

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Howard Gardner has published more than 25 books, many of which have been translated into different Languages (Arizona State University, 2024). One of Gardner's most popular books, 'Frames of Mind', in 1983 discussed his Multiple Intelligences Theory in great detail. This book was quite instrumental as it shifted the common pattern of thinking that children can learn in just a few ways (Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2024). Gardner introduced the notion that there are intelligences that exist, and these intelligences account for the way in which information is processed not only by children but adults as well[41](Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2024). Originally the book mentioned six intelligences however as time passed, to date there are nine intelligences which exist. A list of some of his other books are listed in the APA 7th Edition format below.[41]

  • Gardner, H. (2011, December 6). Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership. Basic Books.
  • Gardner, H. (2011, March 29). Frames of Mind. 3rd Ed. Basic Books.
  • Garden, H. (2011, March 29). The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach.2nd Ed. Basic Books.
  • Gardner, H. (2000, September 1). The Disciplined Mind: Beyond Facts and Standardized Tests, the K-12 Education that Every Child Deserves, Penguin Books.
  • Gardner, H. (2000, September 18). Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences For the 21st Century. Basic Books.
  • Gardner, H. (1994, January 1). The Arts and Human Development: A Psychological Study of the Artistic Process. Basic Books.
  • Gardner, H. (1991, April 10). Open Minds. Basic Books.
  • Gardner, H. (1977, January 1). Shattered Mind: Person After Brain Damage. Routledge & Keegan Paul PLC.

References

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  1. ^ a b Gordon, Lynn Melby. "Gardner, Howard (1943–)." Encyclopedia of Human Development. Ed. Neil J. Salkind. Vol. 2. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference, 2006. 552-553. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. October 27, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Doorey, Marie (2001). "Gardner, Howard Earl". In Bonnie R. Strickland (ed.). The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology (2nd ed.). Detroit, MI: Gale Group. pp. 272–273, 699. ISBN 978-0-7876-4786-5. Retrieved December 7, 2014. a part of the Gale Virtual Reference Library.
  3. ^ a b c d Gordon, L. (2024-10-09). "Howard Gardner | Biography, Theory, Multiple Intelligences, Psychology, & Facts". Britannica. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  4. ^ "A Tribute to Howard Gardner". May 21, 2019.
  5. ^ "A Synthesizing Mind". A Synthesizing Mind. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  6. ^ a b c "About". Howard Gardner. 2012-06-28. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  7. ^ a b "About Howard Gardner (Multiple Intelligences)". Personality Max. 2018-03-22. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  8. ^ a b c Webber, Jacob (2012), "Gardner, Howard", in Rieber, Robert W. (ed.), Encyclopedia of the History of Psychological Theories, New York, NY: Springer US, pp. 464–465, doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-0463-8_210, ISBN 978-1-4419-0463-8, retrieved 2024-10-13
  9. ^ a b "Howard Gardner Project Zero Biography". Pz.harvard.edu. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  10. ^ Webber, Jacob. "Gardner, Howard." Encyclopedia of the History of Psychological Theories. Ed. Robert W. Rieber. Vol. 1. New York: Springer, 2012. 464-465. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. December 10, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c d e Gardner, H. (2012). "Curriculum Vitae: Howard Gardner" (PDF).
  12. ^ "Howard Gardner". Inside the Academy of Education. 2022-10-03. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  13. ^ a b "Higher Education in the 21st Century". Howard Gardner. 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  14. ^ "Higher Education in the 21st Century". Howard Gardner. 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  15. ^ Hess, Frederick (January 4, 2024). "The 2024 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings". Education Next.
  16. ^ "Howard Gardner | Teachers College Press". www.tcpress.com. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  17. ^ "Understanding Multiple Intelligences Theory". Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  18. ^ "The Theory of Multiple Intelligences: As Psychology, As Education, As Social Science Howard Gardner" (PDF). Howardgardner01.files.wordpress.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 11, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  19. ^ "Home - Mi Oasis". Mi Oasis. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  20. ^ Gordon, Lynn Melby. "Gardner, Howard (1943–)." Encyclopedia of Human Development. Ed. Neil J. Salkind. Vol. 2. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference, 2006. 552-553. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. December 8, 2014.
  21. ^ "Reframing the Mind". 30 June 2006.
  22. ^ Klein, Perry D (1998). "A Response to Howard Gardner: Falsifiability, Empirical Evidence, and Pedagogical Usefulness in Educational Psychologies". Canadian Journal of Education. 23 (1): 103–112. doi:10.2307/1585969. JSTOR 1585969.
  23. ^ Gardner, Howard (2006). "On failing to grasp the core of MI theory: A response to Visser et al". Intelligence. 34 (5): 503–505. doi:10.1016/j.intell.2006.04.002.
  24. ^ Gardner, Howard; Moran, Seana (2006). "The science of multiple intelligences theory: A response to Lynn Waterhouse". Educational Psychologist. 41 (4): 227–232. doi:10.1207/s15326985ep4104_2. S2CID 15751192.
  25. ^ "Project Zero: History". Pz.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  26. ^ "Harvard Project Zero". Pzweb.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  27. ^ Mucinskas, Daniel; Gardner, Howard (2013). "Educating for Good Work: From Research to Practice". British Journal of Educational Studies. 61 (4): 453–470. doi:10.1080/00071005.2013.829210. S2CID 144937894.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Anglia, N. (2022-12-21). "What are the 9 Types of Intelligence? | PBIS". Nord Anglia. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning". Northern Illinois University. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  30. ^ Wang, Ying; Song, Jaeki (2020). "Image or Text: Which One is More Influential? A Deep Learning Approach for Visual and Textual Data Analysis in Digital Economy". Communications of the Association for Information Systems. 47 (1): 165–188. doi:10.17705/1cais.04708. ISSN 1529-3181.
  31. ^ a b Herndon, E. (2018-02-06). "What Are Multiple Intelligences and How Do They Affect Learning?". Cornerstone University. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  32. ^ "1990 - Howard Gardner". Grawemeyer.org. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  33. ^ "National psychology awards for excellence in the media". Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  34. ^ "Howard Gardner, 2011 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences - The Prince of Asturias Foundation". Fpa.es. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  35. ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  36. ^ a b "Howard Gardner, 2011 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences - The Prince of Asturias Foundation". Fpa.es. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  37. ^ "Brock International Prize in Education Laureates". BrockPrize.org. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  38. ^ "AERA Announces 2020 Award Winners in Education Research". aera.net. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  39. ^ "Howard Gardner". Pz.harvard.edu. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  40. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  41. ^ a b "General 2". Howard Gardner. Retrieved 2024-10-13.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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