The Learning of Mathematical Algorithms and Formulas without Understanding or Flair

School children in Brunei Darussalam, as elsewhere, learn how to apply a lot of algorithms and formulas in mathematics. These include methods of finding the lowest common multiple and highest common multiple of numbers and methods of factorizing quadratics. Investigations and experience have shown that both able and less able students learn to do these mechanically and unimaginatively and in a way that is reliable when answering examination questions. Most of them do not, however, learn these algorithms and methods so as to develop a deeper insight of what they learn and thereby perform even more effectively in examinations. Yet it is possible to teach these and other methods for understanding in ways that are enjoyable and enable students to use them effectively and with flair.