Why Plugging Numbers Into the Quadratic Formula Is Failing Our Students And What To Teach Instead

Tired of students just memorising the quadratic formula? Teach the ‘why’ behind it and make maths finally make sense. Watch now.

Stop Teaching Quadratics Like It’s Magic

For generations, we’ve been learning how to solve quadratic equations by plugging numbers into a formula: Copy, substitute, calculate, done.

But here’s the problem: that’s not teaching maths. That’s teaching memory.

Students walk away thinking the quadratic formula is some kind of magic key that “just works.” They can’t tell you why it works, or where it comes from. And when they forget a sign or mix up a coefficient, the whole thing crumbles.

AI can do that job and if you don’t believe me, watch this video generated with AI

We can do better.

When students understand why the quadratic formula exists, how completing the square leads to it, how symmetry in parabolas makes sense of it, something amazing happens.

Maths stops being a list of tricks, and starts becoming a language they can reason with.

That’s exactly why I do what I do.
At Maths Advice On Your Device, I don’t just teach the “how.” I teach the why.

Because maths isn’t magic: it’s beautifully logical once you see the structure behind it.

🎥 Watch my quadratic formula video where I break down why the quadratic formula works, in plain English, with visuals that finally make it click (and subtitles to smooth my Spanish accent!)

Categories: : Education, Mathematics, STEM