The Implementation of Multiple Intelligences in Indonesian Education

Education is the basic of all elements, which gives a contribution for our country and our lives. With multiple intelligences possessed by humans, it can be other ways to make better Indonesian education. Indonesian aware about it includes me. Applying the theories of multiple intelligences is the key to get better education in Indonesia. However, we cannot avoid from the reality those schools in Indonesia are still weak to apply the theories of multiple intelligences exactly. Indonesia has to find the best method for education.

 The meaning of Intelligence from etymology side, intelligence comes from Latin verb intelligere, which means "to understand". On the other words, intelligence (as understanding) is arguably different from being "smart" (able to adapt to one's environment). Howard Gardner argues (as cited in Santrock, 2008) that intelligence is a human intellectual competence skill for problem solving—enabling the individual to resolve problems, to create an effective product, the potential for finding or creating problems and thereby laying the groundwork for the acquisition of new knowledge. Besides that, intelligence is goal-directed adaptive behavior (Sternberg & Salter, as cited in Santrock, 2008).

Talking about multiple intelligences, there are eight multiple intelligences which are possessed by individual. Howard Gardner proposed it, they are linguistic intelligence ("word smart"), logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart"), spatial intelligence ("picture smart"), bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart"), musical intelligence ("music smart"), interpersonal intelligence ("people smart"), intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart"), and naturalist intelligence ("nature smart) (as cited in Wikipedia, 2010).

Based on research, there are case studies the weakness of multiple intelligences applications in Indonesian school, conducted by Wiyono E (2008, as cited in Teacher Guide, 2008). He is an associate trainer for teacher guide. The result of his research indicates there are eight things cause the education destructions in Indonesia. This eight things are school system in Indonesia is very focus to score, there is school does not educate, education system is base on class and theory, school still uses the rank for destining student’s capability, education system does not have an aim exactly, the exam is base on writing, underestimate of non-exacta subject, and there is the phenomenon of favorite school.

Focus to score is one of the school systems in Indonesia (Teacher Guide, 2008). It means that IQ is the prime of education aspects (Hallam, S., as cited in Ubaydillah, A. N, 2004). Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is a person’s mental age (MA) divided by chronological age (CA) multiply by 100 (Binet test) (Santrock, 2008).  I know that IQ is important and the result of IQ is correlated with academic achievement (Lubinski, 2000, as cited in Santrock, 2008). Nevertheless, according to me, IQ is not referable to be standard. Score is reflecting on the ability of student in memory. There is teacher subjectivist when the teacher appraises her or his student. In this case, school in Indonesia is only facilitating one of multiple intelligences, whereas there are still multiple intelligences that we must improve well.

 Only facilitating one of multiple intelligences cannot be standard of individuals’ nimbleness. Thomas Amstrong said that everybody who was born in the world has unique potency (Teacher Guide, 2008). If the person is educated well, it can give a good contribution for the world. The biggest challenge ignores the big stone which block their ways in determining, evolving, and making celebrate about their godsend that they have.

For me, school only produces a person who wants to get a certificate or school diploma. One of school in Indonesia teaches the students only. Whereas the important of education is the way to teach to the students, Indonesian school has to educate the student, not teach (Teacher Guide, 2007). In my mind, teach and educate are different. Teaching is a process to change the way of students thinking and teaching becomes critical thinking, and intellectual thinking. Educating is stage to build the behavior and will result the best attitude. Good attitude will appear if we use our emotional intelligences (EQ), because EQ will upgrade human feeling and will create the balance of them and people who has high EQ can improve their happiness and change the sadness to be useful (Goleman D, as cited in Ubaydillah, 2004). Emotianal intelligence is also stated in Gardner’s theory i.e. interpersonal and intrapersonal (as cited in Santrock, 2008)

Almost school in Indonesia use system rank to decide students’ intelligence and compare with the other students’ intelligence (Teacher Guide, 2008). As we know, that the ranking cannot explain an intelligence absolutely. According to me, we get the rank from the sum of all subjects which we learn, and the subject is so varieties. For instance, let’s say the totality of subject is six and there are three students who learn about material. For clearer, look at the table below:

No	Subject	Score of students’ Initial
		Student X	Student Y	Student Z
1	Mathematic	93	63	64
2	Science	95	65	65
3	Social	75	85	80
4	Indonesian Language	70	82	87
5	English	80	83	89
6	Art	65	90	70
Sum		478	468	455
Rank		1	2	3

Based on table, we can see that every student has supremacy score. Then it is right that student X is the first rank if we just view of total score, but we can see from other sides that each score is more superior than the others. It will be better, if the rank of student based on each subject. However, we cannot avoid, that the rank will be reference if we go to work area. Hence, individual who have high score is easier to get a job than the individual who have low score (Wagner, 1997). “Apa artinya prestasi akademik, tanpa sikap empati dan peduli” (Sugiharto S., 2008, p. 6).

As we know that examination is base on writing only in Indonesia. Writing is significant and makes a big contribution to Indonesian education. At long lasting, we study forcedly to understand all of subjects. Nevertheless, our God have created the human with several abilities and the world perfectly. Each person has primary intelligence. In my opinion, the other way to exam is observation. Estimation based on research or observation will be better understanding for student about meaning of real lives. Not only writing, but also practice (go to real life).

 Mostly, people perspectives that the students who had better understand about science considered genius persons (Teungku, R.A., 2008, as cited in Pumping Teacher, 2008). In addition, students appreciated highly who has skill in the other category such as art or linguistic. It perspective has been part of human life including us. Although exact and non-exact subjects is one of part knowledge that cannot be detachable and it means that our intelligences must apply equally. Leonardo da Vinci said that art and science is equivalent from human ability and expertise. To make better the understanding of science, human need to know about art. Moreover, Howard Gardner (as cited in Santrock, 2008) argues that the students has the impulsive method in art sector, but also has the reflective method in problem solving.

Based on Eddy research (Teacher Guide, 2008), the education destructions is an application the multiple intelligences has not spread evenly in Indonesia. The school is only primary on intelligence quotient and avoid the others intelligences. Whereas, the intelligence everyone have to extractive and dig forsooth, in order we can get the best output.

Indonesian school must pay attention about education development. One of method is evolving emotional intelligence that human has. For instance, a school in Indonesia named School High/ Scope do the social activity named is the charity program. They pay respect to Elementary School at Bidadari Cina, Bintaro-West Jakarta. Their activities is to give a TV, books, group discussion, dynamic playing, common gallery, etc (Sugiharto, S., as cited in Teacher Guide, 2008). This activity is conducted to train their emotional quotient (interpersonal) and their charity. Peter Salove and John Mayer (1990) (as cited in Santrock, 2008) argues that emotional intelligence is the ability for mentoring of express emotion, perceive, and adaptively. In this case, indicate that there is a social intelligence in action (as cited in Dewey, J., 2008).

Daniel Goleman (1995) argues that emotional intelligence will be prediction about their competition (as cited in Santrock, 2008). Besides that, Goleman in his book “Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships” (2006) said that intelligences divided two part. They are social awareness and social facility. Social awareness is about what we are fallen to others and social facility is about what we will do, after we have the social awareness.

Implementing multiple intelligences is also the right way to make Indonesian education better. I have several stages that can apply intelligence i.e. teacher and students have to make target of lesson revenue and they are allowed to negotiate it. Teacher and students discuss for making a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding). Pupils are given an opportunity by teacher about what way teaching they are wants. The result of discussion will be a barometer for students and teacher to grasp their goals (Kyriacoua, C., 1998). Afterwards, teacher has to identify the student’s personality and the ability of students’ intelligence. Teacher makes the daily notes for students’ progress, compare of personality and intelligence ability that students has. In addition, teacher has to make evaluation of all and find the solution.

 I am sure that all Indonesian people want to get the best education. Applying multiple intelligences smoothly is the right method to realize it. However, we have to do it, talk less do more.