The Iranian EFL Journal:

Volume 7-6 October 2011.

PDF E-book version

Title
On the Relationship between Multiple Intelligences and Performance on Reading Proficiency Item Types

Authors
      Reza Barzegar
Islamic Azad University, Damavand Branch, Damavand, Iran

Seyed Mahmoud Mirtabatabaie
Iran University of Science & Technology

      Hassan Moradi
Iran University of Science & Technology

        Biodata
Reza Barzegar is currently assistant professor at the Department of Foreign Languages of Islamic Azad University Damavand Branch, Damavand, Iran. His research interests include proficiency testing, alternative assessment, and CALL.

Seyed Mahmoud Mirtabatabaie has a Ph.D. in English literature from Istanbul University and he is currently the dean of foreign languages department at the Iran University of Science and Technology.

Hassan Moradi received his M.A. in TEFL from the Iran University of Science and Technology. He is currently teaching English to translation students at Payam Noor University. His research interests include language testing and learner variables.

Abstract
The present study was an attempt to investigate the existence of any possible relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ multiple intelligences and the performance on reading proficiency item types. An initial number of 140 participants (83 males, 57 females) took part in this study. In order to operationalize MI which was the independent variable of the study, the Persian translation of Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales (MIDAS) was used. To come up with a homogenous sample, a specimen test of IELTS was utilized, on the basis of which 97 students were selected as the final sample, and to find evidence on the dependent variable of this study, i.e., reading proficiency item types, the reading module of the IELTS specimen test was employed. Based on Pearson product moment correlation, it was found that there is a relatively weak relationship between MI scores and the scores on reading proficiency item types. A further analysis of stepwise multiple regression showed that the performance on reading proficiency item types could hardly be predicted by intelligence types.

Keywords: Multiple Intelligences; General Intelligence; Test Takers’ Characteristics; Item Types.