To learn or to succeed? |
I still remember, when several of my science teachers, both in matric and in FSc, would skip certain chapters in the text, not because they did not contain useful information, or because they were not central for understanding the subject, but simply because the material in those chapters was unlikely to appear in the exam.
The teachers had seen plenty of exams to know what topics were likely to appear, and which ones were unlikely. And they were almost always right. My teachers wanted students to only learn what was relevant - not from an educational perspective - but from the perspective of success in the exam. At that time, I found this strategy to be quite appropriate, and much to my liking. I had to cram less material, and not focus on things that were extraneous to my success. The only goal of a class, in my immature mind, was to do well in an exam, and my teachers were helping me achieve that goal. It was all about efficiency and success, not........