Microteaching & Skills

M.VIJAYALAKSHMIAssistant Professor

MICROTEACHING• Term first coined by

A.W.Dwight Allen of the Standford University in 1963• Training Technique• Innovating method of teaching

SCALING – DOWN TECHNIQUE

• Class is reduced to 5 to 10 pupils• Time is reduced from 30 or 35

minutes to 5-15• Size of the content is reduced• Only one teaching skill is

practiced at a time

DEFINITION • Allen,D.W. (1966)• “Microteaching is a scaled down teaching

encounter in class size and class time”• Passi, B.K. (1976)• “The most important point in

microteaching is that teaching is practiced in terms of definable, observable, measurable and controllable teaching skills”

OBJECTIVES OF MICROTECHING• To lessen the complexities that exist in micro classes• To develop confidence in student-teachers with

adequate motivation • To practice teaching in a short duration of time• To identify the deficiencies of the student-teachers• To give immediate feedback to enable them to

modify their teaching behaviour• To encourage researchers identify new teaching

skills and develop new teaching-training programmes

IMPORTANT FEATURES OF MICROTEACHING

Micro elementTechnical skills of teaching and

teaching strategiesThe feedback elementSafe practice grounds The teaching ‘models’The research laboratory

CHARATERISTICS OF MICROTEACHING

• It is an experiment in the field of teacher education

• Skill training technique and not a teaching technique

• It is a scaled down teaching technique• Provides immediate feedback – peer group

feedback, tape recorded/CCTV recorded version etc

• Advocated the choice and practice of one skill at a time

• Highly individualized training device

MICROTEACHING PROCEDURE

PHASES OF MICROTEACHING

•Observe Demonstration skill•Analyze and Discuss Demonstration

KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION PHASE (PRE-ACTIVE PHASE)

•Prepare Micro lesson •Practice Skill•Provide Feedback

SKILL ACQUISITION PHASE

(INTER-ACTIVE PHASE)

•Transfer of skill to actual Teaching situation

TRANSFER PHASE (POST-ACTIVE

PHASE)

STEPS INVOLVED IN MICROTEACHING

OrientationDiscussion of Teaching SkillsSelection of a particular teaching skillPresentation of model demonstration

lessonObservation of the model lesson and

criticismPreparation of Micro lesson plan

Practice of the Skill as Teach SessionProviding feedback on Feedback

sessionsReplanning/Replan SessionReteaching/Reteach SessionProviding Re-feedback/Refeedback

SessionIntegration of teaching Skills

SOURCES OF FEEDBACK• Oral feedback of the laboratory

supervisor• Questionnaires filled in by the pupils

learning in the micro lesson• Audiotape-recordings• Videotape-recording

PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING MIRO-TEACHING

PRACTICE

REINFORCEMENT

EXPERIMENTATION

EVALUATION

PRECISE SUPERVISION

CONTINUITY

ROLE OF SUPERVISOR

• Developing ability to perform a skill• To understand the application of skill• Working with trainee• Visiting schools• Supervising the lesson• Evaluating the lesson

AIDS AND APPARATUS• Observation schedule (check - list)• Cassette tape-recorder• Video-tape recorder• Close circuit television• A movie film• One-way screen• Two-monitors

MICROTEACHING

PRE-SERVICE

INSERVICE

MERITS OR ADVANTAGES• Easing the complexities of normal classroom teaching• More manageable than classroom teaching• Focuses on particular skills• All observable, demonstrable and quantifiable skills• Conducive and healthy atmosphere• Immediate feedback• Caters to the individual differences• Helps in reducing time and energy• Modification of behaviour and learning of specific

tasks occurs

LIMITATIONS• Costly• Narrow scope• Disturbs existing time-table• Presentation in parts• Difficulty in actual practice• Feedback requires equipments – without that it

cannot be successful• Requires trained, competent teacher educators• Skill-oriented and not have any provisions for

content orientation• Microteaching alone is not sufficient

Comparison between Microteaching and Traditional Teaching

MICROTEACHING TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM TEACHING

1. Relatively simple 1. Complex activity

2. Controlled laboratory situation 2. Uncontrolled actual classroom situation

3. 5 to 10 students 3. 35 to 40 students

4. One skill at a time 4. Several skills at a time

5. 5 to 10 minutes 5. 40 to 50 minutes

6. Immediate feedback 6. No immediate feedback

7. Provision for reteaching 7. No provision for reteaching

8.Gains confidence 8. Tensed and scared

MICROTEACHING SKILLS

• Allen and Ryan – 14 skills• Singh (1970) – 22 skills•Menon, et al (1983) – 74 skills• Dr.B.K.Passi (1975) – 13 skills

Skill of Introduction

Skill of Explaining

Skill of Questioning

Skill of Demonstration

Skill of Reinforcement

Skill of Closure

Skill of Stimulus Variation

Skill of Blackboard

Types of Microteaching Skills

SKILL OF INTRODUCING THE LESSON

Utilization of previous experienceUse of appropriate devices and techniques - Questioning, Narration, Story Telling, Demonstration Using audio-visual aids, Dramatization, Use of examplesMaintenance of continuity in the ideas and

informationRelevancy of verbal or non-verbal behaviour

SKILL OF EXPLAINING OR NARRATION

• DESIRABLE BEHAVIOURSUsing appropriate beginning statementsUsing explaining linksTesting pupil’s understandingUsing appropriate concluding statements

• UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOURSoUsing irrelevant statementsoLack in continuity of statementsoInappropriate vocabularyoVague words and phrases

SKILL OF QUESTIONING

• Skill of types of questions• Sill of asking questions• Skill of probing questions

SKILL OF TYPES OF QUESTIONS

• Lower order questions – answers as such in textbooks• Middle order questions – answers

in own words and sentences• Higher order questions – answers

in the form of application

SKILL OF PROBING QUESTIONS

• Prompting techniques• Seeking further information• Refocusing• Redirection• Increasing critical awareness

• Simplicity• Conciseness• Relevancy• Specificity• Grammatical correctness• Clarity and audibility

SKILL OF BLACKBOARD• Legible Hand Writing• Neatness in Writing• Orderliness in Writing• Variation in Writing• Appropriateness• Adequacy of the Black board work with reference

with content covered• Continuity and Relevancy in Writing• Underline the important points and use of colour

chalk• Use of Charts/Tables/Diagrams/Pictures

SKILL OF DEMONSTRATION• Clear objective• Relevant equipments• Apparatus handling techniques• Techniques in arranging the apparatus • Student participation• Blackboard usage• Giving explanation

• Visibility• Pointing to Details• Focusing Attention• Manipulation of various parts• Clarity of Explanation• Sequencing the Demonstration• Using Precautions

SKILL OF ILLUSTRATING WITH EXAMPLES

• Concrete Examples• Interesting Example• Relevant Examples• Appropriate Media

SKILL OF REINFORCEMENT• DESIRABLE BEHAVIOURS Positive verbal reinforcement Positive Extra-verbal reinforcement Positive non-verbal reinforcement Use of Extra-verbal cues Repeating and rephrasing Writing pupil’s answer

• UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOURSUse of negative verbal reinforcementsNegative non-verbal reinforcementsWrong use of reinforcementsInappropriate use of reinforcement

SKILL OF ACHIEVING CLOSURE

• Revision• Recapitulation• Remarks• Blackboard Summary• Home Assignment

SKILL OF STIMULUS VARIATIONMOVEMENTS

GESTURES

CHANGE IN SPEECH PATTERN

FOCUSING – VERBAL, GESTURAL, VERBAL & GESTURAL

CHANGE IN INTERACTION STYLE - 3

PAUSING

ORAL VISUAL SWITCHING

LINK LESSON• Bridging the gap between

microteaching and macroteaching • Link lesson practice • Integration of all the skills• 20 students, 20 minutes

LINK LESSONPARTICULARS MICRO

TEACHINGLINK PRACTICE MACRO

TEACHING

TIME 5 TO 10 MTS 20 TO 25 MTS 40 TO 45 MTS

CLASS-SIZE 5 TO 10 STUDENTS

20 TO 25 STUDENTS

40 AND ABOVE STUDENTS

NO. OF SKILLS 1 SKILL 3 TO 4 SKILLS ALL THE SKILLS

NO. OF CONCEPTS

ONE TWO OR THREE

MANY