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In phase 1 of this study, development and validation studies of a new assessment for the multiple intelligences were conducted. The second phase of the study was a pilot implementation project during a single academic year in collaboration with several public school teachers. Phase 1 involved a series of activities including initial instrument development, expert content reviews, field testing, pilot validation studies, item analysis, subscale development, instrument revision, and secondary validation studies. The developed instrument, the Multiple Intelligence Development Assessment Scales (MIDAS), was validated through studies involving nearly 3,000 middle school students, approximately 70 high school students, groups of adult and college students, and 400 employed adults. Phase 2 considered how a multiple intelligences (MI) profile might be best used by classroom teachers. Six elementary and secondary school teachers participated. Findings from this study indicated that an MI profile can sensitize teachers to their own weaknesses and help them empathize with students who are struggling. Teachers were able to understand the MI profile as a descriptive narrative of intellectual and creative life. Students of these teachers also appreciated the MI profile and found it encouraging. (Contains 5 tables and 21 references.) (SLD)

The use of a multiple intelligences (MI) assessment to enhance a career exploration program for eighth graders was studied. All of the eighth graders (n=160) in a suburban middle school completed three sets of activities as part of their career exploration program. Students completed a multiple intelligences self-assessment, the Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales (MIDAS) (C. Shearer, 1996), and were given interpretive information. They also completed an interest inventory and an 8-hour career shadowing experience. Only 105 students responded to the followup questionnaire at the end of the school year, and 85% of these reported that they had participated in the career shadowing experience. A large majority of students were able to recall the strengths identified on their MI profiles, and they agreed that the profiles described their strengths adequately. Data indicate that most students learned about their MI strengths and were able to use the information to make logical decisions about high school courses they would take and their career shadowing experiences. Data support the value of the Career Exploration Program for these students. An appendix contains a chart of the MI strengths and related career shadowing experiences. (SLD)

"The Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales" (MIDAS) is a self- (or other-) completed instrument which is based upon the theory of multiple intelligences. The validity, reliability, and utility data regarding the MIDAS are reported here. The measure consists of 7 main scales and 24 subscales which summarize a person's intellectual disposition. It is appropriate for adolescents and adults and may be group administered via self-completion, or administered individually as a structured interview. The questions inquire about activities of everyday life that require cognitive ability, involvement, and judgment. This paper reviews the test's applications, its development, its reliability and validity, and its applicability in career exploration. Next, a study that involved 98 college students who were enrolled in career exploration classes is described. Results show that a strong majority of the students reported that the MIDAS Profile was beneficial and almost three-fourths of the students reported that they learned new information about their skills and abilities from the Profile. It is reported that the MIDAS provides information that is useful for increasing self-awareness especially regarding skills and abilities. The MIDAS possessed adequate reliability and validity as a self-report measure of a person's multiple intelligences disposition. Contains 16 references, a description of multiple intelligence scales, and 17 tables. (RJM)

Since Howard Gardner proposed the theory of multiple intelligences as an alternative to the unitary concept of general intelligence, educators have been searching for an acceptable method of assessment. To help with this search, three studies that describe the development and validation of a self- (and parent-) report measure of children's multiple intelligence disposition ("The Multiple Intelligence Developmental Assessment Scales for Children") (MIDAS-for-KIDS) are reported. In the first study, a preliminary version of the instrument was administered to 49 children and 74 parents. In the second study, 170 elementary school children and parents were used to examine item response patterns and scale consistency; in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 children. The third validation study involved over 2,100 children in grades K-8 from 5 states and across a range of socioeconomic levels. Exploratory factor analysis of the final 80-item version identified an appropriate 7-factor solution. This factor structure was confirmed on the other half of the sample. Findings indicate high internal consistency estimates, inter-rater ratings, and test-retest statistics. For the most part, scale scores also correlated in expected ways with appropriate criterion variables. Multiple intelligence definitions and tentative subscales, representative MIDAS items, lists of student activities as well as schools and programs, and seven tables are appended. (RJM)