We meet on Fridays to read and discuss from "What Did You Ask at School Today?" by Kamala Mukunda.
Key Takeaways
- Intelligence is multifaceted. Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (e.g., Linguistic, Musical, Spatial) and Sternberg's Triarchic Theory (Analytical, Creative, Practical) challenge the narrow, school-centric view of intelligence.
- Traditional IQ tests are culturally biased. They measure familiarity with mainstream culture, not "true" intelligence. The Flynn Effect (a rise in IQ scores with no corresponding rise in genius) further questions their validity.
- Practical intelligence is distinct from academic intelligence. A study of milk plant assemblers showed their complex, in-head calculations for order fulfilment were unrelated to their low school performance.
- Education can build "intelligent novice" skills. This involves teaching domain-specific knowledge, how to generalise it, and metacognition—the ability to think about one's own thinking.
The Problem: Narrow Definitions of Intelligence
- The book critiques the school system's narrow focus on academic intelligence, which can leave many students feeling like failures.
- This narrow view is compared to a hypothetical world in which only track-and-field success is valued, creating a bleak future for those without that specific talent.
Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (MI) Theory
Core Idea: Intelligence is a profile of distinct abilities, not a single, unified capacity. Education should nurture all of them.
Initial 7 Intelligences:
- Linguistic (grasping new meaning quickly)
- Musical (sensitive to pitch)
- Logical-Mathematical (abstract reasoning)
- Spatial (mental transformation of objects)
- Bodily-Kinesthetic (graceful/athletic action)
- Personal (understanding one's own motives)
- Social (understanding others' feelings)
Rationale: The theory's value is its usefulness in broadening educational scope and questioning societal values, not its "truth value."
Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Core Idea: Intelligence is the mental ability to adapt to or shape one's context for survival.
Three Intelligences:
- Analytical: Traditional "school smarts" (e.g., solving number series, defining words).
- Creative: Handling novelty and generating new ideas (e.g., completing a new mathematical sequence).
- Practical: Solving real-world problems (e.g., the homework-copying scenario).
Key Finding: These three intelligences are distinct, but all correlate with real-life success. People high in practical/creative intelligence can excel even with low analytical scores.
The Homework-Copying Scenario
A practical intelligence prompt sparked a debate on the ethics of helping a friend copy homework.
Proposed Solutions:
Sneha: Share the method/hints, not the complete answer.
Sandeep K: Help once, but stress the importance of time management for future work.
Minakshi: Advise against copying, highlighting that it also copies mistakes and is a moral responsibility.
Measuring Intelligence: The Flaws of IQ Tests
Historical Context: Early attempts by Francis Galton to measure intelligence via reaction time failed, as quick reflexes did not correlate with life success.
IQ Test Bias:
- Cultural: Questions depend on familiarity with mainstream culture, leading to biased results for different groups.
- Material: Test format affects scores (e.g., Zambian children excelled with wire models, English children with paper-and-pencil).
The Flynn Effect:
Finding: Average IQ scores rose 5–25 points per generation in the mid-1900s.
Conclusion: This rise didn't produce a cultural renaissance (e.g., French patent grants declined), suggesting IQ tests measure something weakly correlated with "true" intelligence.
Educating for Intelligent Behaviour
"Intelligent Novice" (John Brewer): A person who applies prior learning flexibly to new problems, uses general strategies (analogy, analysis), and monitors their own progress.
Three Capacities to Build via Education:
- Domain-Specific Knowledge: A solid foundation in at least one area.
- Generalisation: Understanding how to apply knowledge to new situations.
- Metacognitive Skills: The ability to think about one's own thinking.
The Chess Champion Analogy:
Scenario: Can a chess champion use their strategic skills to advise a country on military strategy?
Debate: Minakshi argued "yes" if they have military knowledge, but "no" if their expertise is strictly domain-specific.
Book's View: Expertise is domain-specific; the champion would likely fail at military strategy but excel at checkers.
- All Participants: Research "metacognition" and prepare a verbal or visual reflection to share at the next meeting.
- Neelashi: Incorporate a 5–7 minute reflection segment at the start of the next session to review the previous week's topic.
Discover the magic of reading at *The English Book Depot*! More than just a bookstore, our cosy Book Cafe offers an unforgettable experience. Join us every Friday on Zoom as we read together and connect with a global community of book lovers, authors, educators, and anyone passionate about the joy of reading. Brew your knowledge with us! #BrewingKnowledge
