Komunika (Mar 2015)
TEORI KECERDASAN, PENDIDIKAN ANAK, DAN KOMUNIKASI DALAM KELUARGA
Abstract
The education system in Indonesia emphasize on academic intelligence, which includes only two or three aspects, more than on the other aspects of intelligence. For that reason, many children who are not good at academic intelligence, but have good potentials in other aspects of intelligence, do not develop optimally. They are often considered and labeled as "stupid children" by the existing system. This phenomenon is on the contrary to the theory of multiple intelligences proposed by Howard Gardner, who argues that intelligence is the ability to solve various problems in life and produce products or services that are useful in various aspects of life. Human intelligence is a combination of various general and specific abilities. This theory is different from the concept of IQ (intelligence quotient) that involves only language skills, mathematical, and spatial logics. According to Gardner, there are nine aspects of intelligence and its potential indicators to be developed by each child born without a brain defect. What Gardner suggested can be considered as a starting point to a perspective that every child has a unique individual intelligence. Parents have to treat and educate their children proportionally and equitably. This treatment will lead to a pattern of education that is friendly to the brain and to the plurality of children’s potential. More than the above points, the notion that multiple intelligences do not just come from the brain needs to be followed. Humans actually have different immaterial (spiritual) aspects that do not refer to brain functions. The belief in spiritual aspects and its potentials means that human beings have various capacities and they differ from physical capacities. This is what needs to be addressed from the perspective of education today. The philosophy and perspective on education of the educators, education stakeholders, and especially parents, are the first major issue to be addressed. With this step, every educational activity and communication within the family is expected to develop every aspect of children's intelligence, especially the spiritual intelligence.
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