Teacher Education and Multiple Intelligences: A Case of Iranian EFL Teachers’ Academic Optimism and Psychological Wellbeing
نویسندگان
1 M.A. holder of Applied Linguistics. Department of English Language and Literature, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.
2 Department of English and linguistics, Faculty of Langugage and Literature, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.
3 Ph.D. Candidate of Applied Linguistics, Department of Language and Linguistics, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.
doi
10.22132/tel.2024.416990.1520چکیده
This study investigated the potential benefits of integrating Multiple Intelligences (MI)-based approaches into teacher training programs for enhancing English language teaching (EFL) in Iran. Twenty in-service EFL teachers participated in a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design. The experimental group received an 8-week training program focused on MI theory and its application in EFL practices. The control group received training on the influence of psychological factors on student learning. Both groups exhibited significant improvements in academic optimism and psychological wellbeing after the training program. However, the experimental group demonstrated larger effect sizes for both measures, suggesting a potentially stronger positive impact of the MI-based training. One-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for pre-test scores further confirmed a significant effect of the intervention program on both academic optimism and psychological wellbeing. These findings highlight the potential value of incorporating MI principles into EFL teacher training programs to foster not only teacher development but also their overall well-being.
