MICRO-
TEACHING
Introduction
There are no two opinions that the existing
pattern of teacher training programmes have failed to develop desirable
teaching competencies and teaching skills among the prospective teachers. To
overcome the practice teaching programme and thereby to encourage the practice
teaching programme, a new way emerged and that is, microteaching.
Micro-teaching is one of the most recent
innovations in teacher training programme. It is essentially a training
technique. It aims at modifying teacher’s behaviour according to the specified
objectives. It was first introduced at the Stanford University in 1961 by
Dwight.W. Allen and his co-workers. It is a training procedure aiming at
simplifying the complexities of the regular teaching process. In a
micro-teaching procedure, the trainee is engaged in a scaled down teaching
situation. It is scaled down in size (5-10 students), class time (5-10
minutes) and teaching task (small topic).
A teacher can use several techniques and procedures to bring about effective learning on the part of his/her students. These activities include introducing the lesson, demonstration, explaining or questioning. These activities form what are called teaching skills. Micro-teaching allows practicing any skill independently and integrating it with other skills in familiar environment.
A teacher can use several techniques and procedures to bring about effective learning on the part of his/her students. These activities include introducing the lesson, demonstration, explaining or questioning. These activities form what are called teaching skills. Micro-teaching allows practicing any skill independently and integrating it with other skills in familiar environment.
Definitions
“Micro-teaching is a scaled down teaching encounter, in class size and class time.” (Allen D.W.)
“Micro-teaching is a system of controlled
practice that makes it possible to concentrate on specific teaching skills and
to practice teaching under controlled conditions.” (Allen & Eve).
“Micro teaching is a scaled down teaching
encounter designed to develop new skills and refine old ones.” (Mcknight)
Micro teaching is a real constructed scaled
down teaching encounter which is used for teacher training, curriculum
development and research.” (Encyclopedia of Education)
“Micro-teaching is a training technique which requires student teachers to teach a single concept using specified teaching skill to a small number of pupils in a short duration of time.”(B.K.Passi & Lalitha M.S.).
Objectives of Microteaching
• To enable teacher trainees to learn and assimilate new teaching skills under controlled conditions.
• To enable teacher trainees to master a number of teaching skills.
• To enable teacher trainees to gain confidence in teaching.
• To enable teacher trainees to learn and assimilate new teaching skills under controlled conditions.
• To enable teacher trainees to master a number of teaching skills.
• To enable teacher trainees to gain confidence in teaching.
Characteristics
of micro teaching
- Microteaching is relatively a new innovation in the field of teacher education.
- It is a training technique and not a teaching method.
- It is scaled down teaching
a) which reduces the class size 5 to10
pupils?
b) which reduces the duration of period
5 to 10 minutes.
c) which reduces the size of the topic.
d) which reduces the teaching skill.
- The content is divided into smaller units which makes the teaching easier.
- It is a real teaching, though the teaching situation is simulated.
- In micro teaching teacher trainee practices one a specific teaching skill at a time, till she/he attains mastery over the skill.
- It operates on a predefined model. Plan, teach, feedback, re- plan, re- teach, re-feedback, etc.
- It is not a substitute but a supplement to the teacher training programme.
- It is a cyclic process. The pre decided model is repeated till the trainee achieves the expected level of mastery.
- It provides adequate feedback.
- Microteaching provides opportunity to select one skill at a time.
- Microteaching is highly individualised training technique.
- Microteaching permits a high degree of control in practicing a particular skill.
- Use of video tapes and closed circuit television makes observation very objective.
- Microteaching is an analytic approach to training.
Important features of microteaching
1
Micro –element
Micro teaching reduces the complexities of the teaching situations in terms of :
a) Number of students are to be taught
[5-10]
b) Duration of the lesson [5-10
minutes]
c) Subject-matter to be taught [small
content]
d) Teaching skills to be concentrated
upon [only one particular skill at a time].
2
Teaching skills and teaching strategies
- Teaching skills may be defined as a set of teacher behaviour which are especially effective in bringing about desired changes in student teachers.
- The activities and behaviours that facilitate learning in students are called teaching skills.
- Instructional techniques and procedures used by the teacher in classroom are known as teaching skills.
Components
of teaching skills
Teaching skills is a set of strictly
overt behaviours of the teacher (verbal and non- verbal) that can be observed,
measured and modified. Its 3 components are:
- Perception- teaching skills have a perceptual component for observing and receiving feedback.
- Cognition- it refers to the behavior or experience of knowing in which there is some degree awareness, as in thinking and problem solving.
- Action- teaching skills demand every teacher to actually practice his/her perceived and acquired knowledge in an effective manner in the classroom.
Three
types of skills are:
a)
Pre-
instructional skills
These skills include writing instructional
objectives, sequencing and organizing knowledge to be presented in order to
achieve specific objectives, appropriate content, proper organization,
selection of proper Audio-Visual aids etc.
b)
Instructional skills
These include skills of introducing a lesson,
skills of explaining and illustrating, reinforcement, probing questions, reinforcing
pupil participation, diagnosing pupils difficulties, etc.
c)
Post-instructional skills
These include skills of writing test items,
interpreting pupil’s performance in a test, planning remedial measures, etc.
3.
Feedback
element
The feedback element is the third important
feature of micro teaching. This term refers to giving information to the teacher
trainee about his performance. The information includes the points of strength
as well as weakness relating to his/her performance. This helps the teacher
trainee to improve upon his/her performance in the desired direction. The
following are the important elements of feedback,
a) The simplest source is the oral
feedback of the supervisor.
b) Another source of feedback consists
of questionnaires filled in by the pupils learning in the micro lesson.
c) Audio tape recordings are an important
source of accurate feedback.
d) The most accurate and powerful
source of feedback is the video tape recording.
4. Safe
practice grounds
Providing a safe practice-ground is another
important feature of micro-teaching. It provides a safe ground for practicing
each skill. For this:
a) A micro teaching laboratory seems to
be one effective answer.
b) Teaching is performed under
simulated conditions with a small group.
c) One skill at a time and reduced
duration and topic makes it easy.
5.
The teaching models
Demonstration lesson
given by the supervisor or a tape or a film offer models for the desired
pattern of behavior. The models help the trainee to develop a style of his /her
work.
Steps in micro teaching
1.
Orientation of the student teachers
It involves providing necessary information
and theoretical background about micro teaching on the following aspects: i. Concept
of micro teaching. ii. Significance of using micro teaching. iii. Procedures of
micro teaching. iv. Requirements and setting for adopting micro teaching
technique.
2. Discussion
of teaching skills
In this step the concept of teaching skill is clarified to the teacher trainee. He develops knowledge and understanding about: i. analysis of teaching into different component teaching skills, ii. Discussing the component teaching behaviours of teaching skills, iii. Significance of these skills in classroom teaching.
It is necessary to define the skills to be developed in terms of specific teaching behaviour
In this step the concept of teaching skill is clarified to the teacher trainee. He develops knowledge and understanding about: i. analysis of teaching into different component teaching skills, ii. Discussing the component teaching behaviours of teaching skills, iii. Significance of these skills in classroom teaching.
It is necessary to define the skills to be developed in terms of specific teaching behaviour
3. Selection
of a particular teaching skill
The teaching skills are to be practiced by
taking them one at a time. The teacher trainee selects a particular teaching
skill for practice.
4.
Presentation of a model demonstration lesson
A demonstration lesson in that particular
teaching skill is presented before the teacher trainee. This stage is known as modelling.
Demonstration can be given in a number of ways.
- By exhibiting a film or a video tape.
- By making them to listen an audiotape.
- By arranging a demonstration lesson from a live model i.e. by the teacher educator or some expert.
- By providing written material such as hand book, guide etc.
- By exhibiting a film or a video tape.
- By making them to listen an audiotape.
- By arranging a demonstration lesson from a live model i.e. by the teacher educator or some expert.
- By providing written material such as hand book, guide etc.
5.
Observation and criticism of the model lesson
At this stage, what is read, listened and
observed through a modelling source is carefully analysed by the trainee. An
observation schedule is designed for the observation of the lesson and is
distributed to the teacher trainee. A critical appraisal of the model lesson is
made by the student teachers on the basis of the observation and analysis.
6. Preparation
of micro lesson plan
For
practicing the demonstrated teaching skill the student teacher prepares a micro
lesson plan on a topic. For this he/she may take guidance and help from the teacher
educator, books etc. This involves the selection of the topic and related
content of such a nature in which the use of components of the skill under
practice may be made easily and conveniently. The topic is analyzed into
different activities of the teacher and the pupils. The activities are planned
in such a logical sequence where maximum application of the components of a
skill is possible.
7. Creation of micro-teaching setting
The Indian model of micro-teaching developed by NCERT gives the following setting. –
7. Creation of micro-teaching setting
The Indian model of micro-teaching developed by NCERT gives the following setting. –
- no. of
pupils - 5-10
- type of pupils - real pupils or preferably peers
- type of supervisors - teacher educators or peers.
- Time duration for micro-teaching lesson – 6 minutes
- Time duration for micro-teaching cycle – 36 minutes
This duration is divided as :
Teaching – 6 minutes
Feedback _ 6 minutes
Re-plan – 12 minutes
Re-teach – 6 minutes
Re-feedback –6 minutes
8. Practice of the Skill (Teach)
- type of pupils - real pupils or preferably peers
- type of supervisors - teacher educators or peers.
- Time duration for micro-teaching lesson – 6 minutes
- Time duration for micro-teaching cycle – 36 minutes
This duration is divided as :
Teaching – 6 minutes
Feedback _ 6 minutes
Re-plan – 12 minutes
Re-teach – 6 minutes
Re-feedback –6 minutes
8. Practice of the Skill (Teach)
Under this step the student teacher teaches a
micro-lesson to a micro-class. This involves the attempts of the teacher
trainee to use the components of the skill in suitable situations coming up in
the process of teaching-learning as per his/her planning of activities. If the
situation is different and not as visualized in the planning of the activities,
the teacher should modify his/her behaviour as per the demand of the situation
in the class. He should have the courage and confidence to handle the situation
arising in the class effectively. This lesson is observed by the teacher
educator and the peer group with the help of the appropriate observation
schedule. The lesson can be recorded using an audiotape or video tape.
9. Feedback or The critique session
9. Feedback or The critique session
Immediate feedback is given by the teacher
educator and the peer group. The information includes the points of strength as
well as weakness relating to his/her performance. This helps the teacher
trainee to improve upon his/her performance in the desired direction.
Possible mechanical gadgets like video-tape, audio-tape, CCTV may be used for getting feedback.
Possible mechanical gadgets like video-tape, audio-tape, CCTV may be used for getting feedback.
10. The Replanning Session
On the basis of the feedback the student teacher re-plans the lesson incorporating the points of strength and removing the points that is not skillfully handled during teaching in the previous attempt either on the same topic or on another topic suiting to the teacher trainee for improvement. He/she is given 12 minutes for this purpose.
On the basis of the feedback the student teacher re-plans the lesson incorporating the points of strength and removing the points that is not skillfully handled during teaching in the previous attempt either on the same topic or on another topic suiting to the teacher trainee for improvement. He/she is given 12 minutes for this purpose.
11. The Re-teaching Session
The revised lesson is re-taught by the student teacher. This involves teaching to the same group of pupils if the topic is changed or to a different group of pupils if the topic is the same. This is done to remove boredom or monotony of the pupil. The teacher trainee teaches the class with renewed courage and confidence to perform better than the previous attempt.
The revised lesson is re-taught by the student teacher. This involves teaching to the same group of pupils if the topic is changed or to a different group of pupils if the topic is the same. This is done to remove boredom or monotony of the pupil. The teacher trainee teaches the class with renewed courage and confidence to perform better than the previous attempt.
12. Re-feedback
This is the most important component of
Micro-teaching for behaviour modification of teacher trainee in the desired
direction in each and every skill practice. The lesson is again observed and the
feedback is again provided by the supervising teacher educator and the
observers.
13. Repeating the Cycle
This micro teaching-cycle is repeated by the
teacher trainee till the skill is acquired.
MICRO-TEACHING
CYCLE

Teaching -
6 minutes
Feedback - 6 minutes
Re-plan - 12 minutes
Re-teach - 6 minutes
Re-feedback -6 minutes
= 36 minutes
Feedback - 6 minutes
Re-plan - 12 minutes
Re-teach - 6 minutes
Re-feedback -6 minutes
= 36 minutes
The components of the microteaching
cycle are shown in Figure. The Microteaching cycle starts with planning. In
order to reduce the complexities involved in teaching, the student teacher is
asked to plan a "micro lesson" i.e. a short lesson for 5-10 minutes
which he will teach in front of a "micro class” i.e. a group consisting
5-10 students, a supervisor and peers if necessary. The student teacher is asked to teach concentrating one or few of
the teaching skills enumerated earlier. His/her teaching is evaluated by the
students, peers and the supervisor using checklists to help them. Video
recording can be done if facilities permit. At the- end of the 5 or 10 minutes
session as planned, the teacher is given a feedback on the deficiencies noticed
in his teaching methodology. Feedback can be aided by playing back the video
recording. Using the feedback to help himself, the teacher is asked to re-plan his/her lesson keeping the comments in view and reteach immediately the same lesson
to another group. Such repeated cycles of teaching, feedback and re-teaching
help the teacher to improve his/her teaching skills one at a time. Several such
sequences can be planned at the departmental level. Colleagues and postgraduate
students can act as peer evaluators for this purpose. It is important, however,
that the cycle is used purely for helping the teacher and not as a tool for
making a value judgment of his teaching capacity by his superiors. Time
duration for micro-teaching cycle – 36 minutes. This duration is divided as:
teaching – 6 minutes, Feedback –6 minutes, Re-plan – 12 minutes, Re-teach – 6
minutes, and Re-feedback –6 minutes.
Phases of Micro Teaching
Clift (1976) described the following as the phases of micro teaching.
1. Pre-active phase (knowledge acquisition phase)
2. Interactive phase (skill acquisition phase)
3. Post-active phase (Transfer phase)
Clift (1976) described the following as the phases of micro teaching.
1. Pre-active phase (knowledge acquisition phase)
2. Interactive phase (skill acquisition phase)
3. Post-active phase (Transfer phase)
Phase I. Pre – Active Phase ( Knowledge Acquisition Phase)
It emphases the understanding of the teaching
skill that is to be learnt by the teacher trainee. Besides, a teacher trainee
has to acquire certain knowledge from the demonstrator/ supervisor/teacher
educator to observe the details of the skill to be demonstrated. Further, the
trainee has to sharpen his/her vision to understand the components/ingredients of
the skills during demonstration. It envisages the following steps
§ Orientation to micro teaching.
§ Discussion of teaching skills with their components and teaching behaviour.
§ Presentation of modern demonstration lesson by the teacher educator.
§ Observation of the model lesson and criticism by the teacher trainee.
§ Orientation to micro teaching.
§ Discussion of teaching skills with their components and teaching behaviour.
§ Presentation of modern demonstration lesson by the teacher educator.
§ Observation of the model lesson and criticism by the teacher trainee.
Phase II. Interactive Phase (Skill
Acquisition Phase)
The main objective of this phase is to enable
the teacher trainee to practice the teaching skill following micro teaching
cycle. During this phase a teacher trainee on the basis of the model
demonstration presented , plans a micro lesson for practicing the demonstrated
teaching skill and carries out micro teaching cycle till he/she acquires the
desired level of mastery. The steps are:
§ Preparation of micro- lesson plan for the related teaching skill.
§ Creating microteaching settings.
§ Practice of teaching skill.
§ Feedback.
§ Re-planning.
§ Re-teaching.
§ Repetition of the micro teaching cycle.
§ Preparation of micro- lesson plan for the related teaching skill.
§ Creating microteaching settings.
§ Practice of teaching skill.
§ Feedback.
§ Re-planning.
§ Re-teaching.
§ Repetition of the micro teaching cycle.
Phase III. Post active phase
(Transfer phase)
The main objective of this phase is to enable
the teacher trainee to integrate the teaching skill in real or normal class
room situation. Integration of teaching skill may be defined as process of
selections organization and utilization of different teaching skills to form an
effective pattern for realizing the specified instructional objectives in a
teaching learning situation.
Link
Practice
When
mastery has been attained in various skills, the teacher trainee is allowed to
teach the skills together. This separate training programme to integrate
various isolated skills is known as ‘Link Practice’.
·
It
helps the trainee to transfer effectively all the skills learnt in the micro
teaching sessions.
·
It
helps to bridge the gap between training in isolated teaching skills and the
real teaching situation faced by a student teacher.
·
Desirable
Number of Pupils : 10-15
·
Preferable
Duration: 10-15minutes.
·
Desirable
Number of Skills : 3-4 Skills
The
integration of teaching skills or the link practice can be done in two ways:
i.
Integration of teaching skills in parts
During this stage the
individual teaching skills acquired by the pupil teacher are integrated in
parts and not as a whole. The time
duration of the teaching exercise for integration depends upon the number of
teaching skills to be integrated. Hence after practicing three sub-skills
separately, the trainee may combine all the three sub skills in a lesson of
10-15 minutes. Then the trainee practices another set of three sub-skills
separately and links them. He/she then combines all the six skills in a single lesson.
This sequence is continued till the entire sub-skills are combined in a macro
lesson of 40 minutes. Time is increased four times, if there are four skills to
be integrated i.e. 3 or 4 teaching
skills are integrated and transferred them into a lesson of 15-20 minutes
duration. And again 3 or 4 skills are integrated and are transferred all the
skills to one lesson. After acquiring mastery in the integration of skills the
teacher trainee is required to apply the integration of skills in a real
classroom setting.
ii.
Integration of teaching skill as whole
In this approach,
opportunity is provided to integrate all the individual teaching skills by taking them as a whole and not in
parts
Advantages of
micro teaching
Ø Helps in reducing the complexities
of the normal class room teaching.
Ø Helps the teacher trainee gain more confidence
in real teaching.
Ø It helps in developing important
teaching skills.
Ø It creates among the teacher
trainees an awareness of various skills of which teaching is composed of.
Ø Provides safe practice ground.
Ø Simulated teaching- It simulates the
class room scene and gives the teacher trainee an experience of real teaching.
Ø It helps in systematic and objective
analysis of the pattern of class room communication through specific
observation schedule.
Ø It is more effective in modifying teacher
behaviour.
Ø It is an effective technique for transfer of
teaching competencies to the class room.
Ø It helps in getting acquainted with class room
manners to a certain extent.
Ø Feedback enables the teacher trainee
to consciously concentrate on specific behavioural modification.
Ø It helps the teacher trainees in better
understanding of the meaning and concept of the term teaching.
Ø Immediate feedback
Ø
Demerits
Demerits
Ø Micro teaching is skill oriented and
not content oriented. It does not emphasise content.
Ø It covers only a few specific
skills.
Ø Micro teaching can be carried on
successfully in a controlled environment only.
Ø Micro teaching is very time
consuming.
Ø Lack of material resources like
video recording facility.
Ø The question of integrating the
skill is quite challenging.
Ø Teaching is not just a summation of isolated
teaching skills.
Ø Sufficient literature on micro
teaching is not yet available.
Ø Strict scheduling of time affects
the creativity of teachers.
Ø Lack of trained supervisors:-For
successful execution micro teaching requires competent and trained teachers.
Micro teaching and Macro teaching
Micro teaching and Macro teaching
Micro teaching is a technique of imparting training to would
be teachers in the art of teaching by practicing specific teaching skills
through scaled down teaching encounter i.e. reducing the complexities of
teaching in terms of the size of the class, time and content.
By macro teaching we mean the teaching in regular classes
consisting of 40 or more students for 45 minutes. In macro teaching all the
skills of teaching are to be integrated.
Comparison between Micro teaching
and Traditional teaching:
Micro teaching
|
Traditional teaching
|
Objectives are specified in
behavioural terms
|
Objectives are general and not
specified in behavioural terms
|
Class consists of a small group of
5 to 10 students
|
Class consists of more than 35
students
|
Duration of time for teaching is 5
to 10 minutes
|
Duration of time for teaching is
40 to 45 minutes
|
There is immediate feedback
|
Immediate feedback is not
available
|
Teaching is relatively simple
|
Teaching is complex activity
|
Takes up one skill at a time
|
Teacher practices several skills
at a time
|
Role of supervisor is specific and
well defined to improve teaching
|
The role of supervisor is not
certain
|
Teaching is carried out in
controlled situation
|
Carried out in uncontrolled
Situation
|
Teaching skills
The analytical concept of teaching considers teaching as a
complex skill comprising of various specific teaching skills. These teaching skills
can be defined as “a set of teacher behaviour which are especially effective in
bringing about desired changes in student teachers.” (Passi 1981).
According to Gage (1968) “teaching skills are specific
instructional activities and procedures that a teacher may use in his
classroom.”
A teaching skill is that art of the teacher which makes
communication between the teacher and pupils sufficiently.
Attempts have been made to list teaching skills. Allen and
Ryan listed the following teaching skills at Stanford University in the U.S.A.
1. Stimulus Variation
2. Set induction
3. Closure
4. Teacher silence and non-verbal cues
5. Reinforcing pupil participation
6. Fluency in questioning
7. Probing questioning
8. Use of higher questions
9. Divergent questions
10. Recognizing and attending behaviour
11. Illustrating and use of examples
12. Lecturing
13. Planned repetition
14. Completeness of communication
B.K. Passi has given the following list of Teaching Skills in his book “Becoming Better Teacher; Micro-teaching Approach”:
1. Writing instructional objectives
2. Introducing a lesson
3. Fluency in questioning
4. Probing questioning
5. Explaining
6. Illustrating with examples
7. Stimulus variation
8. Silence and non-verbal cues
9. Reinforcement
10. Increasing pupil participation
11. Using black board
12. Achieving Closure
13. Recognizing attending behavior
NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) in its publication Core Teaching Skills (1982) has laid stress on the following teaching skills…
• writing instructional objectives
• Organizing the content
• Creating set for introducing the lesson
• introducing a lesson
• Structuring classroom questions
• Question delivery and its distribution
• Response management
• explaining
• illustrating with examples
• Using teaching aids
• Stimulus variation
• Pacing of the lesson
• Promoting pupil participation
• Use of blackboard
• Achieving closure of the lesson
• Giving assignments
• Evaluating the pupil’s progress
• Diagnosing pupil learning difficulties and taking remedial measures
• Management of the class
1. Stimulus Variation
2. Set induction
3. Closure
4. Teacher silence and non-verbal cues
5. Reinforcing pupil participation
6. Fluency in questioning
7. Probing questioning
8. Use of higher questions
9. Divergent questions
10. Recognizing and attending behaviour
11. Illustrating and use of examples
12. Lecturing
13. Planned repetition
14. Completeness of communication
B.K. Passi has given the following list of Teaching Skills in his book “Becoming Better Teacher; Micro-teaching Approach”:
1. Writing instructional objectives
2. Introducing a lesson
3. Fluency in questioning
4. Probing questioning
5. Explaining
6. Illustrating with examples
7. Stimulus variation
8. Silence and non-verbal cues
9. Reinforcement
10. Increasing pupil participation
11. Using black board
12. Achieving Closure
13. Recognizing attending behavior
NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) in its publication Core Teaching Skills (1982) has laid stress on the following teaching skills…
• writing instructional objectives
• Organizing the content
• Creating set for introducing the lesson
• introducing a lesson
• Structuring classroom questions
• Question delivery and its distribution
• Response management
• explaining
• illustrating with examples
• Using teaching aids
• Stimulus variation
• Pacing of the lesson
• Promoting pupil participation
• Use of blackboard
• Achieving closure of the lesson
• Giving assignments
• Evaluating the pupil’s progress
• Diagnosing pupil learning difficulties and taking remedial measures
• Management of the class
Core Teaching Skills
It is not possible to train all the pupil teachers in all these skills in any training programme because of the constraints of time and funds. Therefore a set of teaching skills which cuts across the subject areas has been identified. They have been found very useful for every teacher. The set of these skills are known as core teaching skills. Experts in this field listed different skills as core teaching skills as they have different perspective or opinion. But many of them have listed the following teaching skills as Core Teaching Skills:
1. Skill of introducing a lesson.
3. Skill of Explaining
4. Skill of Illustrating With Examples
5. Skill of Stimulus Variation
6. Skill of Fluency in Questioning
7. Skill of Reinforcement
8. Skill of Using Blackboard