Discovering hidden intelligences: An ethnography exploring the multiple intelligences theory and its effect on the academic motivation of at-risk children

The purpose of this study was to discover the relationship that existed between motivation and intelligence. The researcher wanted to determine if children may have learned best when their entire range of capabilities was addressed and when multiple connections were encouraged in a balanced way. As research is increasingly demonstrating that the definition of intelligence is too narrow to describe most students, researchers in various disciplines have challenged the established notion of intelligence by offering substantial evidence that demonstrates how schools limit intellectual growth mostly through their limiting focus on a fixed model of the learner. This study explored the relationship between current knowledge of the human mind and the process of instruction as it refers to the education of at-risk children.