The Search for Empirical Evidence

Last week, I received an email from my Cousin Kenny, a math teacher in Raleigh, North Carolina. The first line of his email read, The question of overlap between Gardner's multiple intelligences is an empirical one: it's not something to debate or have opinions about, but to do experiments on.". A subsequent email suggested that these experiments have, most likely, already been conducted, and the trick is to find the people who have conducted them.

To that end, I emailed a dozen graduate students here at East Stroudsburg University to find out if any of them were aware of any such experiments.

The following is a response I got from a student working on his M.Ed, by the name of Mich Scheilfer. (Mitch, has agreed to help me gather research on my hypothasis and so I am posting his response as a separate blog, rather then simply as a "comment".)

Brian,

Before, I get into any empirical evidence I am aware of, I want to clarify what Gardner said on this subject,

Certainly, he does talk about the connection between solving mathematical equations and choosing words in one’s writing. However, his example of a writer whose style shows this is T.S. Elliot (specifically his poetry). If I am not mistaken, your hypotheses applies to the writing of compositions. So while, I believe, Gardner’s theory may still be applicable, I think it is important to make it clear that you are extending what his original theory says. If I am mistaken and you intend to apply your hypothesis to creative writing as well as to compositions then that is something you might want to make clear.

As far as collecting empirical evidence, I think that in order to effectively do this you need to break your original hypothesis down into more manageable parts. I think that your entry on “math journals” is a good place to start.

Empirical Evidence:

There was an article published in 2001, by David K. Pugalee, entitled, Writing, Mathematics, and Metacognition: Looking for connections in students’ work through mathematical problem solving.

This article is based on a study of how writing about the mathematical processes they used in solving equations affected/changed the way 20 ninth grade students approached mathematics.

I am also aware of a number of books which discuss different methods of using math journals in the classroom. However, I don’t know if these are based on studies or untested hypothisys similar to yours (I will send you another email with the titles of these books).

I am sure that if you can find a couple more articles, like the one I have mentioned above, you will also be to track down the sources of those articles who will be able to give you still more sources and ideas.

© 2008 MITCHELL SCHEILFER