MICRO-TEACHING


DEFINITIONS OF MICRO- TEACHING

            
Micro-teaching has been defined in a number of ways. Some selected definitions are given below:
- Micro-teaching is a scaled down teaching encounter in class size and class time.
- Micro-teaching is defined as a system of controlled practice that makes it possible to concentrate on specified teaching behaviour and to practices teaching under controlled conditions.
- Micro-teaching is a teacher education technique which allows teachers to apply clearly defined teaching skills to carefully prepared lessons in a planned series of 5-10 minutes encounter with a small group of real students, often with an opportunity to observe the result on video-tape.
- Micro-teaching is a scaled down teaching encounter in which a teacher teaches a small unit to a group of five pupils for a small period of 5-20 minutes. Such a situation offers a helpful setting for an experienced or inexperienced teacher to acquire new teaching skills and to refine old ones. 

THE BEGGININGS OF MICRO- TEACHING

            
Stanford University developed Microteaching in 1963 as a part of an experimental program. It was viewed as feasible in making student- teachers aware of the realities of teaching. It also served as a measurable tool in identifying teaching skills prior to actual teaching

PURPOSES OF MICRO- TEACHING


There are two purposes of Microteaching: (a) for student- teachers to develop teaching skills under controlled conditions without risking the learning of the pupils, and (b) for experienced teachers to examine and refine their techniques.

PHASES OF MICRO- TEACHING:

According to J.C. Clift and others, micro-teaching procedure has three phases:
1. Knowledge acquisition phase: In this phase, the student teacher attempt to acquire knowledge about the skill- it’s rational, its role in class room and its component behaviours. For this he reads relevant literature. He also observes demonstration lesson-mode of presentation of the skill. The student teacher gets theoretical as well as practical knowledge of the skill.
2. Skill acquisition phase: On the basis of the model presented to the student-teacher, he prepares a micro-lesson and practices the skill and carries out the micro-teaching cycle. There are two components of this phase:
(a)  feedback
(b)  micro-teaching settings.
Micro-teaching settings include conditions like the size of the micro-class, duration of the micro-lesson, supervisor, types of students etc.
3. Transfer phase: Here the student-teacher integrates the different skills. In place of artificial situation, he teaches in the real classroom and tries to integrate all the skills.

MICROTEACHING CYCLE


The above diagram gives us an outlook about Micro teaching process. The cycle continues up to the extent when a trainee will able to master a specific skill. 

COMPARISONS BETWEEN MICROTEACHING AND TRADITIONAL TEACHING 

MICRO- TEACHING                                                       TRADITIONAL TEACHING

1. Objectives are specified in behavioural terms.
1. Objectives are general and not specified in behavioural terms.
2. Class consists of small group of 5-10 students.
2. Class consists of 40-60 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 situation.
6. There is no control over situation.

7. Teaching is relatively simple.
7. Teaching become complex.

8. The role of supervisor is specific and well defined to improve teaching.
8. The role of the supervisor is vague.

9. Patterns of class room interaction can be studied objectively.
9. Patterns of classroom interactions cannot be studied objectively.