INVESTIGASI AREA KECERDASAN MAHASISWA JURUSAN PENDIDIKAN BAHASA INGGRIS FAKULTAS TARBIYAH DAN ILMU KEGURUAN UNIVERSITAS ISLAM NEGERI SJECH M. DJAMIL DJAMBEK BUKITTINGGI
Intelligence goes beyond academic achievements; it involves solving real-life problems, generating new challenges, and providing valuable contributions within a cultural context. Every individual has unique potential, supported by their environment, which helps them navigate life’s challenges. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences underscores that intelligence is diverse and includes abilities like creativity and problem-solving, illustrating that intelligence should be seen as multifaceted rather than narrowly defined. This study at Islamic State University of Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi, found that varying English proficiency among students due to different educational backgrounds, creating knowledge gaps that affect academic performance and extend graduation times. This study aims to find out the dominant intelligence area, to find whether there are differences in intelligence in each semester, and what are the types of intelligence possessed by English language students’. This research design was quantitative and conducted at Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training at Islamic State University of Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Buktinggi. The population in this study consisted of students of the English Education Department in the 2020-2023 academic year. This research used a questionnaire to obtain data on multiple intelligence areas. There were eight kinds of multiple intelligences on the questionnaire that consist of 80 items, and each of intelligence will consist of ten questions. The questionnaire is written in English because the respondents are from the English department, and it is expected that the students will understand and answer the questions. The questionnaire was created through a Google form, which participants answered in online.The results showed that the level of multiple intelligences of English Education Department students was in general condition, and the three most dominant intelligences were linguistic 36.66, physical/kinesthetic 34.84%, and naturalist 34.80%, and the lowest percentage of intelligence was musical intelligence 33.85%. From the explanation above shows that students who have high linguistic ability or other intelligence should have good English language skills among students'. This happens if English students have a good educational background, environment, or family background. This will not lead to the long graduation of English students, an average of 5 years and 9 months, mainly due to poor language skills that require repeating the course. So that's why this research was conducted to help English students discover their own intelligence.