A Reflection on Richard R. Skemp's "Relational Understanding and Instrumental Understanding"
While reaching the article, I came across the word “schema” which I did not fully understand. After looking it up, I found that in math, a schema is a way to understand the structure of different problems, making them easier to solve. Looking back to my education in math, I can identify what schemas were used and how effective they were. In addition, the examples Skemp gives of instrumental mathematics had me stop and think back. With the exception of an instructor or two, most of my high school Math instruction was instrumental. Because of this, when I was introduced to the concept of theories and proofs in university for the first time, I significantly struggled. This was mainly because coming up with a proof requires thinking of the concepts in their most basic elements and then to work from there. Not knowing the ideas or reasons behind most concepts was a major setback.
I would have to agree with most of the points Skemp raises. I feel that one of the strongest points he makes is that when a student gets the satisfaction that comes with a relational understanding, they are more likely to pursue the subject and learn more. In high school, I had a math teacher named Mr. Singh. It appears like he would almost always use relational instruction. Students actually enjoyed his Math class and would look forward to learning more. Though, there is no doubt that the time required for relational instruction is not always feasible.
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