Mi-Based Needs As Revealed By Third Grade Users Of New Oxford English 7 In A Shenzhen Primary School

This study aims to examine the MI-based contents in the textbook-New Oxford English 7 and the MI-based needs as revealed by third grade students and teachers in light of Howard Gardner's MI Theory and Needs Analysis in a Shenzhen primary school.The study sample consists of 44 students in one class and 3 teachers of third Grade.The research material is New Oxford English 7,which is Oxford-Shenzhen version published by Shanghai Education Press.Firstly,the author and a postgraduate student who is familiar with MI Theory and the author's research investigate the MI-based contents in the target textbook according to MI checklist which is based on the framework of MI Theory.Then,MI-based needs in the students are examined through questionnaire,classroom observation,and interview.Next,the MI-based needs as revealed by the teachers are examined through interview,classroom observation and second interview.Finally,the results show that the research material covers all the types of intelligences and the proportion of linguistic intelligence is most,followed by logical/mathematical intelligence,spatial intelligence,and bodily/kinesthetic intelligence.By comparison,the other types of intelligences are relatively less addressed,and naturalist intelligence takes the least percentage.As for the MI-based needs reflected by the sampled students,interpersonal intelligence is most frequently addressed,followed by intrapersonal intelligence,musical intelligence and naturalist intelligence.However,logical/mathematical intelligence,linguistic intelligence and spatial intelligence are less frequently addressed,and bodily/kinesthetic intelligence takes the least percentage.From the sampled teachers' perspectives,they give emphasis on students' MI-based needs,arrange various teaching activities to cater to these needs and they reflect that linguistic intelligence,spatial intelligence,musical intelligence and bodily/kinesthetic intelligence should be developed or strengthened.Through the above analyses,it can be concluded that the textbook selected in this research-New Oxford English 7 well caters for students' logical/mathematical intelligence,linguistic intelligence,spatial intelligence and bodily/kinesthetic intelligence.However,interpersonal intelligence,intrapersonal intelligence,musical intelligence and naturalist intelligence which are possessed by more students are not well satisfied.