11/14: Chapter 5 LGQ

Analyze - Many people argue that intelligence correlates highly with achievement; can you describe some of the other factors that cause school achievement?

Intelligence is a loaded word that is often relative to the context in which one uses it. However, Ormrod lists several qualities that characterize education. First education is adaptive to a variety of situations. Second, it is related to learning ability and interdisciplinary application of knowledge. Third, it involves effectively employing prior knowledge to make sense of new information. Finally, it is culture specific (Ormrod 138). With these traits in mind, it comes as no surprise that intelligence correlates well with academic achievement; however, it is important to understand that despite this correlation, intelligence does not necessarily cause achievement (Ormrod 143).

            To make this question more applicable to the chapter, I will provide a list of factors that affect intelligence. First, the environment can play a significant role in shaping intelligence. Because intelligence is culture specific, different cultures may focus on different areas of development in intelligence, things like working well in a group or speaking well, and thus influence a child’s development. In addition, poor nutrition and simply attending a school can have significant impacts on a child’s intelligence. At the same time, a child’s socioeconomic background may affect intelligence. Of course, heredity and gene makeup play a role in intelligence as well. Research shows that even when adopted, identical twins are closer in intelligence than fraternal twins. Also, heredity can influence the level to which the environment affects a child’s intelligence (Ormrod 144-145 for a discussion on factors that influence intelligence).

Apply—What items might you check for when measuring the intelligence of an English language learner in you future classroom?

            English language learners may face difficulties not shared by other students within a classroom. Ormrod describes ELLs as students who have limited experience with English and are thus not fluent in it (Ormrod 146). It is important to be cognizant of an English language learner’s difficulty understanding English during assessments. If test items are not delivered in such a way that the student can interpret and understand them, then the test measures are not valid. To ensure validity and fairness and give every student equitable opportunities, tests should be non-biased. For ELLs, tests should be delivered in their native language. Second, assessments should not have a cultural bias or assume shared experiences. For instance, asking a student from rural Mexico to compare a regatta with a lacrosse match might not yield a valid outcome. Furthermore, the fact that intelligence is culture specific may cause difficulties for the test format. For instance, a child from culture X might value group achievement, while a student from culture Y might value individual achievement. Ultimately, when measuring intelligence, especially for ELLs, we must be sensitive to each student’s cultural background and adjust accordingly.