Catering for multiple intelligences in locally-published ELT textbooks in Turkey

This study aims to investigate the extent to which English textbooks which are locally designed for primary education in Turkish state schools reflect Multiple Intelligences. Based on the framework of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, a multiple intelligences checklist was developed to examine each textbook in relation to different intelligences as reflected through different activities and tasks. It has been found that the intelligence profile of English textbooks is predominantly verbal/linguistic and visual/spatial. Naturalistic intelligence is identified as the least intelligence type that is catered only in grade 4 and grade 5 textbooks, and no example of spiritual/existential intelligence was found. However, a fair percentage of distribution for the remaining intelligence types was recorded.