Skemp Article 342 Entrance Slip Sep 14, 2020

  I agree with Skemp's assertions that relational teaching involves fewer overall principles to learn and is therefore easier for students to remember. Also, it is more pleasurable, adaptable and lasting. However, it is more difficult to learn than instrumental learning and that is an important weakness because it requires more time to teach and doesn't build student confidence.

In the classroom, the best approach is the same approach Skemp takes when learning his way around a new town, which is the perfect analogy for mathematics. It is a combination beginning with instrumental learning and followed by relational learning. That approach is the best because it satisfies the requirements of testing, time-constraints and confidence-building while still providing the opportunity for students to extend their instrumental understanding to relational understanding, when possible.