Micro teaching

Concept of Micro teaching

Micro-Teaching was developed by Professor Dwight Allen and Robert Bush in the
teacher preparation program at Stanford University between 1960-1967 it can be used for
pre-service and in- service teacher training programs.
Micro-teaching was introduced in India in 1967 by D.D. Tiwari of Government
Central Pedagogical Institute, Allahabad in 1970, G.B. Shaw experimented with micro-
teaching at M.S. University, Baroda. Then the Technical Teachers Training Institute, Madras
introduced micro-teaching to train the technical teachers. In 1974, Dr. N.L. Dosajh used
micro-teaching as a teaching device in Teachers Training Institute, Chandigarh. He also
wrote a book namely Modification of Teacher Behavior through Micro-Teaching. NCERT,
SCERT, SIEs in the different states have been propagating this concept.
Microteaching is a teacher training technique for learning teaching skills. It employs
real teaching situation for developing skills and helps to get deeper knowledge regarding the
art of teaching complexities with respect to number of students in a class, scope of content,
and timeframe, etc. Microteaching is an excellent way to build up skills and confidence, to
experience a range of lecturing/tutoring styles and to learn and practice giving constructive
feedback. Microteaching gives instructors an opportunity to safely put themselves under the
microscope of a small group audience, but also to observe and comment on other people's
performances.

Definition
Various research workers and writers have defined micro teaching in a number of ways.
According to D.W. Allen(1966), Micro-Teaching is a scaled down teaching
encounter in class size and class-time.
According to Allen and Eve(1968), Micro-teaching is a system of controlled practice
that makes it possible to concentrate on specified teaching
behavior and to practice teaching under controlled conditions.
According to R.N. Bush(1968 ) Micro-Teaching is a teacher education technique
which allows teachers to apply well defined teaching skills to a carefully prepared lesson in a
planned series of five to ten minutes encounter with a small group of real classroom students,
often with an opportunity to observe the performance on video-tape.
According to Mc. Alesse and Unwin(1971), Micro-Teaching is most often applied to
the use of closed circuit television to give immediate feedback to a
trainee-teachers performance in a simplified environment.
According to B.K. Passi and M.S. Lalita(1976), 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.
Encyclopedia of education(Ed. Deighton, L.C. 1971), Micro-Teaching is a real,
constructed, scaled down teaching encounter, which is used for teacher training, curriculum
development and research.
 According to N.K. Jangira and Ajit Singh(1982), Micro-Teaching is a training
setting for the student teacher where complexities of the normal classroom teaching are
reduced by practicing one component skill at a time, limiting the content to a single concept,
reducing the size to 5 to 10 pupils and reducing the duration of the lesson to 5 to 10 minutes.
According to Kumar(1996), Micro-Teaching is a technique of training in which one
learns the skills of teaching through a scaled down process of teaching learning.

Purposes of Micro-teaching
There are two purposes of Microteaching:
1. For student- teachers to develop teaching skills under controlled conditions without risking
the learning of the pupils, and
2. For experienced teachers to examine and refine their techniques.

Equipment for Microteaching session

1. TV/Computer set.
2. Video recorder/camcorder.
3. Camera
4. Tapes for camera.
5. Black- or whiteboard, flipchart, pin board, markers with different colors.

Components of Micro-Teaching
The components of Micro-Teaching are:
1. A teacher,
2. The pupils (usually 4 or 5),
3. A brief lesson,
4. The objectives of the specific Micro-Teaching occasion,
5. Feedback by the supervisor, or by using audio tape recordings, video tape recordings and
closed circuit television.

Assumptions of Micro-Teaching
The assumptions on which Micro-Teaching is based areas under:
1. Teaching behavior of a teacher can be observed in classroom situations.
2. Drawbacks in the teaching competency can be traced out and then they can be improved
upon.
3. Complexities of normal class-room situation can be reduced. The size of the class, the
duration of teaching, teaching contents etc., can be reduced for giving training to the beginner
teachers.
4. Training of specific skills can be given very well by taking up one skill at a time.
5. Practice of teaching can be controlled by providing regular feedback.
6. Teacher training program can be highly individualized.
7. In-service teachers can also be better trained through Micro- Teaching technique.
8. Observation of teaching can be done objectively by using video-tape and Closed Circuit
Television.
9. Feedback to the teacher trainee can be possible immediately. The earlier the feedback to
the teacher trainee, the better is his learning the different skills of teaching.

Procedures/ Phases of Microteaching

N.K.Jangira and Ajith Singh presented the three phases as follows:
1. Knowledge Acquisition Phase
2. Skill Acquisition Phase
3. Transfer Phase
1. Knowledge Acquisition Phase (Pre-Active Phase): It includes the activities such as the
teacher trainee:
a. Being provided with knowledge about teaching skills.
b. Bing able to observe the demonstration of teaching skill and
c. Being able to analyze and discuss the demonstration of the teaching
skill.
In this phase, the student teacher attempts to acquire knowledge about the skill, its
role in classroom and its component behavior. The student teacher observes the
demonstration lesson and the mode of presentation of the skill.
2. Skill Acquisition Phase (Inter-active Phase): It includes the activities such as the teacher
trainee:
1. Planning and preparation of micro lesson for a skill.
2. Practicing the skill.
3. Evaluation of the practiced skill (Feedback).
4. Re-plan, Re-teach and re-feedback till the desired level of skill is
achieved.
On the basis of the demonstration presented by the expert, the teacher trainee plans a
micro-lesson, lesson for practicing the demonstrated skill. On the basis of the performance of
teacher trainee in teaching, the feedback is provided for the purpose of change in behavior of
the teacher trainee in the desired direction.
Transfer phase (Post-active phase): In this phase the student teacher integrates the different
skills. The student teachers are provided an opportunity to use the skill in normal classroom
teaching.

Characteristics of Micro teaching

1. Micro Teaching is an analytical approach to training.
2. Micro Teaching provides adequate feedback.
3. It is relatively a new innovation in the field of teacher education.
4. It is a training device to prepare effective teachers.
5. Micro Teaching is a highly individualized training technique.
6. Micro Teaching is a scaled down teaching.
7. It reduces the class size up to 5 to 10 pupils.
8. It reduces the duration of period 5 to 10 minutes.
9. It reduces the size of the topic.
10. It reduces the teaching skills.
11. Use of video tape and closed circuit television make observation very objective.

Steps of Micro teaching

The Micro-teaching program involves the following steps:
Step I: Particular skill to be practiced is explained to the teacher trainees in terms of the
purpose and components of the skill with suitable examples.
Step II: The teacher trainer gives the demonstration of the skill in Micro-teaching in
simulated conditions to the teacher trainees.
Step III: The teacher trainee plans a short lesson plan on the basis of the
demonstrated skill for his/her practice.
Step IV: The teacher trainee teaches the lesson to a small group of pupils. His lesson is
supervised by the supervisor and peers.
Step V: On the basis of the observation of a lesson, the supervisor gives feedback to the
teacher trainee. The supervisor reinforces the instances of effective use of the skill and draws
attention of the teacher trainee to the points where he could not do well.
Step VI: In the light of the feed-back given by the supervisor, the teacher trainee re plans the
lesson plan in order to use the skill in more effective manner in the second trial.
Step VII: The revised lesson is taught to another comparable group of pupils.
Step VIII: The supervisor observes the re-teach lesson and gives re-feed back to the teacher
trainee with convincing arguments and reasons.
Step IX: The teach re-teach cycle may be repeated several times till adequate mastery
level is achieved.

Process of Micro-teaching
A Micro-Teaching program is organized to expose the trainees to an organized
curriculum of miniature teaching encounters, moving from the less complex to the more
complex. Micro-Teaching process includes the following steps:
1. Orientation: In this step teacher provides orientation i.e., lectures on Micro-Teaching, its
process, aspects, merits and limitations, to the pupil-teachers.
2. Discussion of teaching skill: Under this step the pupil-teachers should be introduced with
various teaching skills. Teacher discusses and explains the psychological rationale behind a
particular skill under use.
3. Presentation of micro-teaching model: The teacher educator gives a model Micro-
Teaching (5 to 10 minutes) for the particular skill. His model-exemplifies the use of the
particular skill and its components.
4. Observation schedule: The pupil-teachers should be provided the Observation Schedule
for the observation of the specific skill. Each skill has different observation schedule. The
observation and criticism of the model lesson provide feedback to the demonstrator.
5. Preparation of Micro-lesson-plan: Under this step pupil- teachers are required to prepare
micro-lesson-plan related to the specifically selected teaching skill. The pupil-teacher should
preferably select one unit concept for micro-lesson.
6. Teaching session: The teacher teaches a group of four or five pupils (or his own peers).
The teacher educator or a peer can observe the micro lesson by the trainee and note down the
observations in a specially developed preformed. The micro lesson may be videotaped or at
least recorded using cassette recorder.
7. Feedback: Under this step, immediate feedback is provided to the trainee for his micro
lesson. This feedback is provided by playing the video or audio-tape. The trainee observes his
own lesson and analyses it with the teacher educator and his peers.
8. Replay: In the light of the feedback and the educators comments the trainee re-plans the
micro lesson. Duration of this session is 12 minutes.
9. Re-Teach: The trainee re-teaches the micro lesson to a different but comparable group of
pupils. This time also the micro lesson is video or audio-taped and the observations are noted
in the preformed. Feedback is again provided on the re-teach lesson.
10. Re-Feed Back: After re-teach, re-feedback is provided to the pupil-teacher. The duration
of re-feedback is 6 minutes.
11. Repetition of the Micro-Teaching cycle: The Micro-Teaching cycle is repeated till the
pupil-teacher acquires the mastery in the teaching skill. The Micro-Teaching cycle consists of
planning, teaching, feedback, re-planning, re-teaching and re-feedback.
12. Creation of Micro-teaching setting: Under this step, consideration is made for creating
proper conditions and providing appropriate facilities for the practice of a teaching skill. In
the Indian model of Micro-Teaching developed by NCERT the standard setting for a micro
class as below:
a. Number of pupils: 5-10
b. Type of pupils: Real pupils or preferably peers.
c. Type of supervisor: Teacher educators and peers.
d. Time duration of a micro lesson: 6 minutes.
e. Time duration of a Micro-Teaching cycle: 36 minutes.

Advantages of microteaching
1. Micro Teaching is training for real teaching.
2. It paves way for macro lesson.
3. It is an increased control of practices.
4. Feedback is immediately given.
5. Specific skills can be developed by Micro Teaching.
6. Teaching under simulation condition is also possible.
7. This technique is more useful for the training of one or more skills.
8. It simplifies the study of interaction between the teacher and the pupils.
9. It develops integration of theory and practice.
10. It helps in the research work related to classroom teaching.
11. It provides self-evaluation through the tape recorder and videotape.
12. It helps to develop and master important teaching skills.
13. It helps to accomplish specific teacher competencies.
14. It is more effective in modifying teacher behavior.
15. It is an individualized training technique.
16. It employs real teaching situation for developing skills.
Disadvantages/ Limitations of Microteaching
Limitations of microteaching include the following:
1. The training becomes ineffective unless the teacher acquires the quality of effective student
teaching.
2. It is skill oriented; Content not emphasized.
3. A large number of trainees cannot be given the opportunity for re-teaching and re-
planning.
4. It is very time consuming technique.
5. It requires special classroom setting.
6. It covers only a few specific skills.
7. It deviates from normal classroom teaching.
8. It may raise administrative problem while arranging micro lessons.
9. It wastes the time of trainees because they have to practice a particular skill a number of
times
10. Competent and trained supervisors are needed for micro-teaching who are not available to
make this innovation really fruitful.

Micro-teaching Cycle
The six steps generally involved in micro-teaching cycle are Plan , Teach , Feedback
Re-plan , Re-teach , Re-feedback. There can be variations as per requirement of the objective
of practice session. These steps are diagrammatically represented in the following figure :

Diagrammatic representation of a Micro-teaching Cycle

1. Plan : 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.
2. Teach: 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.
3. Feedback: 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.
4. Re-plan: The teacher trainee re-plans his lesson incorporating the points of strength and
removing the points 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.
5. Re-teach: 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.
6. Re-feedback: This is the most important component of Micro-teaching for behavior
modification of teacher trainee in the desired direction in each and every skill practice.

Time duration for the microteaching

Time duration for the microteaching is:
1. Teach: 6 Minutes.
2. Feedback: 6 Minutes.
3. Re-Plan:12 Minutes.
4. Re-Teach: 6 Minutes.
5. Re-Feedback: 6 Minutes.

Principles underlying micro-teaching

Micro-Teaching is based on a few sound principles which are briefly explained below:
1. Principle of one skill at a time: In Micro-Teaching, training of one skill is given till the
person has acquired mastery over it. Then the second skill is taken up and so on. Thus, we
find that Micro-Teaching is based on the principle of giving training of one skill at a time.
2. Principle of limited contents: Micro-Teaching, limited contents are taken up and the
teacher is required to use those contents only. It helps the beginner teacher teach that limited
material easily and confidently.
3. Principle of practice: Micro-Teaching is based on the sound principle of practice. Here lot
of practice is given by taking up on is skill at a time. Practice makes a man perfect. It helps
the pupil- teacher in becoming better and better.
4. Principle of experimentation: A lot of Experimentation is involved in Micro-Teaching.
The experiment consists of objective observation of actions perfumed under controlled
conditions.
The pupil-teacher and the supervisor conduct experiment on teaching skills under controlled
conditions.
5. Principle of immediate feedback: The micro lesson lasts for four or five minutes only.
Thereafter, feedback is provided to the pupil-teacher. It helps the pupil-teacher to know his
drawbacks and improve them effectively without any delay.
6. Principle of evaluation: In Micro-Teaching, there is continuous assessment of the
performance of the pupil-teacher. Evaluation helps the learner know his drawback and then
he is able to improve it. In Micro-Teaching, each micro lesson is supervised by the supervisor
or the peers. Drawbacks in teaching are pointed out and suggestion for improvement is given.
Self-evaluation is also possible. Thus, evaluation ensures good learning by the pupil-teacher.
7. Principle of continuity: Learning of different skills of teaching is a continuous process in
Micro-Teaching program. The pupil-teacher is learning one skill at a time and learning
continues till he has mastered the skill. For each skill, the principle of continuity is implied. It
makes the teacher good and effective.
8. Principle of individualized training: In Micro-Teaching, each trainee is given training
very thoroughly. There is individual attention by the supervisor. The drawbacks in teaching
are pointed out, suggestions given one by one and thus improvement is brought about.

Five 'R's of Micro-Teaching

1. Recording
2. Reviewing
3. Responding
4. Refining
5. Re-doing

Comparisons between microteaching and traditional teaching

Micro- teaching Traditional teaching

1. Objectives are specified in behavioral 1. Objectives are general and not specified in
terms. behavioral terms.
2. Class consists of small group of 5-10 2. Class consists of 40-60 students.
students.
3. The teacher takes up one skill at a time. 3. The teacher practices several skills at a
time.
4. Duration time for teaching is 5-10 minutes. 4. The duration is 40-50 minutes.
5. There is immediate feed-back. 5.Immediate feed-back is not available
6. Teaching is carried on under controlled 6. There is no control over situation.
situation.
7. Teaching become complex.
8. The role of supervisor is specific and well 8. The role of the supervisor is vague.
defined to improve teaching.
9. Patterns of class room interaction can be 9. Patterns of classroom interactions cannot
studied objectively. be studied objectively

Definition of teaching skill

Definition of teaching skill might be one of the following:
A teaching skill is that behavior of the teacher which facilitates pupils learning directly or
indirectly.
A teaching skill includes all arts and behavior of the teacher which maximizes pupils
learning.
A teaching skill is that art of the teacher which makes communication between the teacher
and pupils sufficiently.

Identification of Teaching Skills through microteaching

There are many approaches for identifying teaching skills. The prominent among
them are the following:
1. Observation of class room interaction
2. Analysis of teacher tasks through interview and discussion.
3. Analysis of curriculum and objectives.
4. Conceptualization of a good teaching model
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 behavior
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

Core teaching skills

The above list might be coinciding with the list given by the experts. The list is :
1. Skill of Probing Questions.
2. Skill of Explaining.
3. Skill of Illustrating With Examples.
4. Skill of Stimulus Variation.
5. Skill of Reinforcement.
6. Skill of Classroom Management
7. Skill of Using Blackboard
These skills are called Core Skills because of their extensive use in classroom teaching. The
specifications of these skills are given below the Table:
Teaching Skills and their Specifications
S.No. Skill Components
1. Probing Questions Prompting, seeking further information, redirection,
focusing, increasing critical awareness.
2. Explaining Clarity, continuity, relevance to content using beginning and
concluding statements, covering essential points.
S.No. Skill Components
3. Illustrating with Simple, relevant and interesting examples appropriate
examples media, use of inducts, deductive approach.
4. Stimulus variation Body movements, gestures, change in speech pattern,
change in interaction style, pausing, focusing, oral-visual
switching.
5. Reinforcement Use of praise words and statements, accepting and using
pupils idea, repeating and rephrasing, extra vertical cues,
use of pleasant and approving gestures and expressions,
writing pupils answer on the black board.
6. Classroom Call pupils bynames, Make norms of classroom behavior,
Management attending behavior reinforced, and clarity of direction, check
non-attending behavior, keep pupils in Eye Span, and check
inappropriate behavior immediately.
7. Use of blackboard Legible, neat and adequate with reference to content
covered.

Checking progress through Microteaching of trainee/ new teacher

1. Micro-teaching is a technique used for developing:
a. Moral values.
b. Teaching skills.
c. Concepts of content.
d. Skills for preparing teaching aids.
2. The attainment of mastery level in a teaching skill :
a. Helps the teacher in teaching.
b. Helps the learner to learn.
c. Help the school to improve its results.
d. Includes all the above points.
3. List five micro-teaching skills with reasons in order of their importance in teaching.
4. Among various steps of micro-teaching which one is most significant and why?
5. What are the phases of micro-teaching procedure?
6. List the principles underlying micro-teaching procedure.
7. List your own views about micro-teaching technique.
References
1. Dr. Kumar, S. S. (2016). Microteaching--an efficient technique for learning effective
teaching, International Journal of Research in IT and Management (IJRIM), 6(8)
2. Anthonia, O. I. (2014). Micro-Teaching: A Technique for Effective Teaching.
International Association of African Researchers and Reviewers. 8(4)
3. Objectives-of-microteaching. Retrieved from http://drati.blogspot.com/2011/04/objectives-
of-microteaching-to-enable.html
4. Micro-teaching. Retrieved from http://www.publishyourarticles.net/knowledge-
hub/education/get-complete-information-on-micro-teaching/5373/
5. Introduction-to-micro-teaching. Retrieved from
http://www.info4mystery.com/2013/09/introduction-to-micro-teaching-and-its.html
6. Micro-teaching. Retrieved from http://babiam3ck.blogspot.com/