Iranian EFL Student-Teachers’ Multiple Intelligences and Their Self-Efficacy: Patterns and Relationships

Nowadays, in line with trends in language teaching that follow the use of student-centered teaching/testing activities, there is growing consensus that students differ in their multiple intelligences. Furthermore, self-efficacy is one of the determining factors of success for people almost in any context. Assuming that the multiple intelligences profiles in tandem with self-efficacy of teachers may jointly work in shaping the efficiency and effectiveness of their teaching careers, this study investigated the relationship between Iranian EFL student-teachers’ multiple intelligences and their self-efficacy. Thirty five male and female EFL student-teachers from private language schools in Urmia completed Multiple Intelligences (McKenzie 1999) and the Teachers’ Senses of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk-Hoy, 2001) questionnaires. A positive large correlation was found between total multiple intelligence and total self-efficacy of the student-teachers. The amount of R square in regression analysis indicated that teachers’ self-efficacy is accounted for by their multiple intelligences, and intrapersonal intelligence played a pivotal role in predicting self-efficacy of these teachers. The most frequently used and favored abilities were found to be intrapersonal and existential intelligences. Concerning self-efficacy sub-scales, teachers most reported to be self-efficacious in instructional strategies and student engagement. This study suggests that language teachers can benefit from multiple intelligences training programs and can apply the principles in their own classes in order to enhance the quality of the materials they deliver.