Microteaching in Teacher Education through the Students’ Perspective

Abstract

The present contribution examines microteaching as an instructional method and focuses on it as a vehicle of teacher training at the Department of Primary Education of the Democritus University of Thrace (Greece). In particular, 107 students of the department were asked to freely and anonymously submit their views on microteaching in a written text, after having been trained in this method for one semester. The content analysis of the produced texts indicated students’ approbation towards the procedure in question, verifying the findings of other similar studies. Their remarks regarding microteaching strengthen the plea for its incorporation in the curricula of university departments that train prospective teachers.

The issue of pedagogical and teaching training of teachers in Greek education and the role of university professors: an educational policy approach

“…For example, a pedagogical and teaching training program cannot be in the right direction if it lacks almost entirely the practical training component. A teacher is appointed to education without having been in the classroom, without having taught at all, without having seen how teachers teach, what difficulties they have and how they deal with them, the methods and techniques they use, how they prepare, plan and implement their teaching, and everything else, whether it be easy, difficult, positive, negative, etc., which happens in the educational process and generally in their future workplace (Chatzidimou & Chatzidimou, 2014). That is, pedagogical and teaching training cannot be based only on topics and issues of theoretical pedagogy, it cannot be implemented in classes with many trainees, without the attendance being compulsory, without appropriate material and technical infrastructure, etc.…”

“…In "Ypodidaskaleia" 4 and "Didaskaleia", in particular, until the first decade of the 19th century one could not yet speak of proper pedagogical training of teachers (punishment and authoritarian means of teaching, verbalism, etc. prevailed, due to teachers' ignorance and the unfavorable economic, social, political conditions of that time), while in pedagogical academies later (1934 -1983) and in the departments of education (1984 -until today) importance was given and is given in all three areas of education of a teacher education program (training in subjects, in the pedagogical and teaching area as well as in practical training), despite any of their problems (Andreou, 1998;Chatzidimou & Chatzidimou, 2019;Tsalkatidou-Taratori, 2009).…”

“…The duration of teachers' education and studentship in "Didaskaleia" until their abolition in 1933 was one year for most of the years of their operation (there were even cases where they did not study at all, but the candidates only took exams (Pyrgiotakis, 1992) and for very few years, namely shortly before their abolition and the establishment of pedagogical academies, two years. Teachers' education in pedagogical academies throughout their existence lasted two years (Chatzidimou & Chatzidimou, 2019;Evangelopoulos, 1998). For a short time, an attempt was made for the duration of teachers' education to be increased from two to three years.…”

“…The endeavor of upgrading the work of the candidate teachers of pedagogical academies was, therefore, stopped very quickly with the seizing of the political authority of the dictatorial regime of the colonels of 1967, which wanted teachers of this level and of secondary education to be uneducated, obedient, and passive beings. The reasons for the abolition of some pedagogical academies (of the one in Thessaloniki, of the Raleio pedagogical academy of Piraeus) were political and not at all academic (Chatzidimou & Chatzidimou, 2019). However, this two-year training in Pedagogical Academies continued, despite the repeal in 1975 of the Legislative decree 842/1971, to be implemented after the change of government in 1974 until the establishment (Presidential decree 320/1983) and the operation of the university departments of education in 1984/1985.…”

Does “Microteaching” Meet Pre-Service Teacher’s Expectations?

“…"Microteaching" as a method of training future teachers has a long history (Allen, , 1970 and a broad spectrum of applications (Dayanindhi & Hegde, 2018, Chatzidimou, 2013. It is defined (Fortune et al, 1965, p. 389, Perlberg, 1987) as the technique which can aid future teachers to exercise teaching skills either already gained or (even) new, in safe and simplified teaching conditions, keeping a distance from the environment of a natural class, which is complicated, full of unforeseen events and stressful to them.…”