For Exam Vs For Understanding

[senghong79]

Do we teach in a way to make students do well in exam or do we teach to make students really learn?

This, of course, is the perennial question for us teachers and everyone related to the education field.

My opinion on this : There is no answer as the question itself is flawed, based on myths and lies. It is not do well in exam vs learning. They will only do well in exam if they learn well, and if they learn well, they will do well in exam. It is not one or the other, it is one because of the other.

Myths and lies : Yet, isn't it true that some students can waste most of their form 4 form 5 years, then attend some drilling course, etc, etc, and end up with A1 in a certain subject? Fact is, yes. The question is, does A1= do well ? NO.
And let's put it this way, if the students somehow have "access" to certain "knowledge" that will enable him/her to do well in the exam, then we dont call this a myth, it is a lie.

I know this will sound like self-praise, but the fact is I got through science and maths exam by understanding and learning well, not by any special methods, etc. I don't attend tuition, I don't attend skema permarkahan, etc, etc. I understand the subject matter, part of it because I have good teachers and I listen in class, part of it is because I think, I question, I experiment. Exam time isn't a time to regurgitate what I have been spoonfed, in fact, exam time is always a learning time for me, as I discover even more when trying to solve (except when the paper is too damn easy)

My point is, we teach to make the students learn. There is no "Never mind you don't learn just know how to answer in exam". There is no way we can make students do well in exam without learning. Well, maybe there is, but it's based on lies.
Lies that will only create future generations that only learn how to take the easy, or worse, unethical way out.

[just an accidental reader]

I totally agree with you sir, in fact most of your points are merely logical and it also reflects to most of the succesfull students out there. So i guess, there is no learn vs exam which suppose to be debated here but lets say learn + exam since both are linked very close to produce somebody in the future. Mind my english...i m learning & lots to improve

[Nancy Liging]

We are supposed to teach the minds, touch the hearts and transform the lives of our students...We are totally NOT teaching to the test...well, yes, sometimes it helps to give the students the tips and techniques on how to do well in the exam, BUT the point is, aren't we supposed to 'produce quality human capital'? Those who are 'holistic' individuals who can handle feelings?
So, yes, it's true, when we teach them for understanding, they could actually 'kill two birds with one stone"...they would understand and apply in the real life situation, and they could also write well in the exam..through understanding..