CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2 General Statement of the Problem 3
1.2.1 English Teaching and Learning in China 3
1.2.1.1 The Role of Reading in English Teaching Syllabi ofAll Levels 3
1.2.1.2 English Testing 4
1.2.2 Research into Thinking Styles in China 4
1.3 Purpose of the Study 5
1.4 Research Questions 5
1.5 Significance of the Study 6
1.6 Definitions of Terms 6
1.6.1 Cognitive Style 6
1.6.2 College English Curriculum Requirements 7
1.6.3 English Major EFL Learners 7
1.6.4 Item-Objective Congruence Index 7
1.6.5 Multiple Intelligences 7
1.6.6 New English Curriculum 7
1.6.7 National Matriculation English Test 8
1.6.8 Reading Performance 8
1.6.9 Test for English Majors 8
1.6.10 Thinking Styles 8
1.6.11 Teaching Syllabus for English Majors 8
1.7 Summary 9
CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE 10
2.1 Theories Related to Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles and Reading Strategies 10
2.1.1 Multiple Intelligences 10
2.1.1.1 The Definition of Intelligence 10
2.1.1.2 Gardner's Criteria for Intelligence 10
2.1.1.3 Multiple Intelligences Theory 11
2.1.1.4 Measurement—Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire 15
2.1.1.4.1 The Multiple Intelligences Development Assessment Scales 15
2.1.1.4.2 Multiple Intelligences Inventory 15
2.1.1.5 Multiple Intelligences Theory and Second Language Learning 15
2.1.1.6 Summary 16
2.1.2 Theory of Cognitive Style 17
2.1.2.1 The Definition of Cognitive Style 17
2.1.2.2 The Development of Cognitive Style 18
2.1.2.2.1 The Three-layer“Onion”Model 18
2.1.2.2.2 Model of Two Style Dimension 18
2.1.2.2.3 Sternberg and Grigorenko's Categorization of Styles 19
2.1.3 Theory of Thinking Styles 21
2.1.3.1 Definition of Thinking Styles 21
2.1.3.2 Stemberg's Theory of Mental Self-government 22
2.1.3.3 Zhang and Steinberg's Three-Dimensional Model of Thinking Style 23
2.1.3.4 Measurement-Thinking Styles Inventory 23
2.1.4 Language Learning Strategies 24
2.1.4.1 Definitions of Language Learning Strategies 24
2.1.4.2 The Classification of Language Learning Strategies 25
2.1.4.2.1 Classification of Language Learning Strategies by Oxford 25
2.1.4.2.2 Classification of Language Learning Strategies by O'Malley and Chamot 27
2.1.4.2.3 Classification of Language Learning Strategies by Stoffer 28
2.1.4.2.4 Classification of Language Learning Strategies by Cohen 30
2.1.4.2.5 The Classification of Language Learning Strategies in China 30
2.1.5 Reading Strategies in a Foreign/Second Language Learning 31
2.1.5.1 Definition of Reading Strategies 31
2.1.5.2 Classifications of Reading Strategies 32
2.1.5.3 Reading Strategies Questionnaire 32
2.1.5.3.1 The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning by Oxford 32
2.1.5.3.2 The Survey of Reading Strategies by Sheorey and Mokhtaris 33
2.1.5.3.3 The Language Strategy Survey by Cohen and Chi 33
2.1.6 Teaching Syllabus for English Majors and the Test for English Majors Grade Four in China 33
2.2 Previous Research Studies into Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles,and Reading Strategies 34
2.2.1 Interrelationship between Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles,and Reading Performance Achievement 34
2.2.2 Relationship between Multiple Intelligences/Thinking Styles/Reading Strategies and Academic Performance/Achievement 36
2.2.2.1 Relationship between Multiple Intelligences and Academic Performance 36
2.2.2.2 Relationship between Thinking Styles and Academic Performance 41
2.2.2.3 Relationship between Reading Strategies and Reading Performance 44
2.3 Summary 48
CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODS AND MATERIALS 49
3.1 Research Design 49
3.2 Participants 50
3.3 Conceptual Framework of the Study 50
3.4 Research Instruments 51
3.4.1 Questionnaires 51
3.4.1.1 Multiple Intelligences Inventory 52
3.4.1.2 The Thinking Styles Inventory 53
3.4.1.3 The Reading Strategies Questionnaire 53
3.4.1.4 Validity and Reliability Check 54
3.4.1.4.1 Content Validity Check 54
3.4.1.4.2 Reliability Check for the Questionnaire 54
3.4.2 Test-Reading Comprehension Test 55
3.5 Data Collection Procedures 55
3.5.1 The Three Online Questionnaires 55
3.5.2 Reading Comprehension Test 56
3.6 Ethicai Issues in Data Collection 56
3.7 Data Analysis Methods 57
3.7.1 Descriptive Statistics and One-Way ANOVA 57
3.7.2 Independent-Sample T-test 57
3.7.3 Pearson's Correlation Coefficient（r） 57
3.7.4 Multiple Regression Analysis 57
3.8 Pilot Study 58
3.9 Summary 58
CHAPTER FOUR DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS 59
4.1 Results of Cronbach's Alphas Coefficients for Online Questionnaires 59
4.2 Description of Participants 60
4.2.1 Participants'Ethnic Origin and Gender in Taking the Reading Comprehension Test 60
4.2.2 Participants'Ethnic Origin and Gender for the Three Questionnaires 60
4.3 Results of the Reading Comprehension Test 61
4.4 Results in Relation to Research Questions 62
4.4.1 Results in Relation to Research Question 1 62
4.4.1.1 The Degree of Participants'Response to Online Questionnaires 62
4.4.1.2 Results of Descriptive Statistics for Three Online Questionnaires 63
4.4.1.2.1 Descriptive Statistics for Multiple Intelligences 63
4.4.1.2.2 Descripfive Statistics for Thinking Styles 64
4.4.1.2.3 Descriptive Statistics for Reading Strateges 65
4.4.1.3 Results of Independent Sample T-Tests for Gender Differences in Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles,and Reading Strategies 65
4.4.1.3.1 T-Tests for Gender Differences in Multiple Intelligences 65
4.4.1.3.2 T-Test for Gender Differences in Thinking Styles 66
4.4.1.3.3 T-Test for Gender Differences in Reading Strategies 67
4.4.1.4 The Results of One-Way ANOVA for Ethnic Differences in Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles,and Reading Strategies 68
4.4.1.4.1 One-Way ANOVA for Ethnic Differences in Multiple Intelligences 68
4.4.1.4.2 One-Way ANOVA for Ethnic Differences in Thinking Styles 71
4.4.1.4.3 One-Way ANOVA for Ethnic Differences in Reading Strategies 75
4.4.2 Results in Relation to Research Question 2 75
4.4.2.1 Criterion for Pearson's Correlation Coefficient（r） 76
4.4.2.2 Results of Relationship between Multiple Intelligences and Thinking Styles 76
4.4.3 Results in Relation to Research Question 3 77
4.4.4 Results in Relation to Research Question 4 78
4.4.5 Results in Relation to Research Question 5 79
4.4.5.1 Results ofPearson Correlation Calculation between Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles,Reading Strategies,and Reading Performance 80
4.4.5.2 Results of Multiple Regressions for Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles,Reading Strategies and Reading Performance 82
4.4.5.2.1 Regression for Multiple Intelligences and Reading Performance 82
4.4.5.2.2 Regression for Thinking Styles and Reading Performance 83
4.4.5.2.3 Regression for Reading Strategies and Reading Performance 85
4.5 Summary 87
CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS 88
5.1 Reliability 88
5.2 Participants 89
5.3 Reading Comprehension Test 90
5.4 Research Questions 91
5.4.1 The Overall Profiles for Multiple Intelligences/Thinking Styles/Reading Strategies,Gender Differences,and Ethnicity Differences 92
5.4.1.1 Multiple Intelligences 92
5.4.1.2 Thinking Styles 94
5.4.1.3 Reading Strategy Use 96
5.4.1.4 Gender Differences 97
5.4.1.5 Ethnicity Differences 99
5.4.2 Relationships between Multiple Intelligences and Thinking Styles 101
5.4.3 Relationships between Multiple Intelligences and Reading Strategies 102
5.4.4 Relationships between Thinking Styles and Reading Strategies 102
5.4.5 The Interrelationships between Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles,and Reading Strategies 103
5.4.6 The Inventories of Multiple Intelligences and Thinking Styles 104
5.4.7 The Extent to which Reading Performance Can be Predicted by Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles,and Reading Strategies 105
5.4.7.1 Multiple Intelligences and Reading Performance 105
5.4.7.2 Thinking Styles and Reading Performance 106
5.4.7.3 Reading Strategies and Reading Performance 107
5.4.7.4 The Training of Multiple Intelligences,Thinking Styles,and Reading Strategies 108
5.5 Summary 108
CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS,IMPLICATIONS,AND RECOMMENDATIONS 109
6.1 Summary of the Major Findings 109
6.2 Pedagogical Implications 111
6.2.1 Government Departments and Institutions 112
6.2.2 Policy-makers and Curriculum Planners 112
6.2.3 Instructors/Teachers 113
6.2.4 Parents 113
6.2.5 Students/Learners 113
6.3 Limitations of the Study 114
6.4 Recommendations for Further Research 114
REFERENCES 116
APPENDIX A 135
APPENDIX B 151
APPENDIX C 157
APPENDIX D 173
APPENDIX E 179
APPENDIX F 183