Reflections On Skemp's Article

Based on Skemp's article, differences between two understanding approaches were made clear by means of excellent analogies. Distinctions of two approaches were defined to separate one from the other to be adopted due to the preference of different teachers. However, the relationship inbetween should be of a continuum, a balance where both approaches were adopted, which depends on the students' levels of understanding. At the intuitive level in Mathematics, implement instrumental teaching to help develop adequate calculation skills throughout high school, while relational teaching is utilized at its minimal to provide the knowledge in necessity or to fill up the gaps, and gradually switch grounds. Appropriately used, both approaches could benefit each other, and the argument between them would not have been as distinctive. Instrumental understanding provides an aid and appeals students into learning or getting to know Mathematics, while relational understanding provides the logic or the "truth" behind Mathematics, as instrumental approach can jump in anytime to reinforce the knowledge and keep students interested and engaged in Mathematics. Nevertheless, the analogies provided in the article were profound. They provide a more comprehensive view of understanding towards the argument between instrumental and relational understanding. Relational teaching with analogies could at times embrace students closer in Mathematic studies.

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