Is the Algerian EFL classroom diverse in terms of multiple intelligences?

Abstract

Since the shift to learner-centeredness in educational settings, Multiple Intelligences Theory has captured the attention of many practitioners as a theory that endorses learners’ uniqueness, and which promotes diversity in the classroom in terms of materials and instructions. This study attempts to show the variety of Multiple Intelligences profiles of an Algerian secondary school EFL class in which all learners receive the same instructions and are exposed to the same limited materials without taking into account the variety of their Multiple Intelligences profiles. Multiple Intelligences Inventory by McKenzie (1999-2017) was used to collect the needed data. The results show that the class’s Multiple Intelligences profile is indeed rich and diverse. Linguistic intelligence, as well as spatial intelligence are predominant but all types of intelligences are present in the same classroom. This indicates that the Algerian classroom is not homogeneous in terms of intelligences, and that should be taken into consideration in future material and instruction design. Learners’ differences should always be celebrated in the EFL classroom