But surely you have read either the Trevor Thom manuals or the AFE / similar manuals, and then sat the PPL exams? Hopefully that would teach you the theory behind met, using the mixture, preflight nav planning etc. (Unless of course you just used the 'confuser' with the intention of only passing the exams.....not learning the useful/important stuff).
There is an awful lot to cover in the PPL sylabus as it is and when you consider the range of students who train for their PPL it is difficult to apply one method for all. What I did (and now teach) is to read through the theory books for both the exams and the flight breifings and then use these as the basis for any questions for the instructor. From an instructors point of view, judging 'depth of knowledge' is very difficult (anyone who has read Propellerhead will know what I mean...the bit about the Pitot tube)!
The written exams and the skills tests are then just methods for checking the 'basics' are there. We all then get our licences and the learning really begins! If the PPL were to teach absolutely everything there is to know about flying.....then the experience is going to take thousands of hours!
Going back to the earlier point...I think I shall be putting a stern letter in the post to my former driving instructor as I got caught speeding 4 weeks ago....couldn't possibly be my fault?