What is the main objective of 'Micro Teaching' in teaching?
Detailed Explanation
📌 Core Theoretical Concept:
The main objective of 'Micro Teaching' in education is the 'specific and controlled practice of teaching skills'. Developed in 1963 at Stanford University by Dwight W. Allen and Robert Bush, micro-teaching is a scaled-down teacher training technique designed to simplify the complexities of the regular teaching environment. It reduces the class size to 5-10 students, shortens the duration to 5-10 minutes, and focuses on mastering a single specific teaching skill at a time, such as probing questions, reinforcement, blackboard writing, or stimulus variation, under controlled conditions.
📊 Key Exam Points:
- The standard micro-teaching cycle takes about 36 minutes, which includes planning, teaching, feedback, re-planning, re-teaching, and re-feedback.
- In India, B.K. Passi pioneered the systematic categorization of core teaching skills.
- Option (a) is incorrect because micro-teaching involves a very small group of students, not a large class.
- Options (c) and (d) regarding examinations and homework are irrelevant, as micro-teaching focuses strictly on refining instructional skills rather than formal testing.
📖 Theoretical Reference: Micro-teaching bridges the gap between educational theory and practical classroom teaching through behavior modification and formative feedback loops. Explore more about Inclusive Education and pedagogical strategies for better teaching methodologies.
🎯 Exam Perspective: Key Insights for Teacher Exams Detailed Solution ➔
Questions regarding the time duration of micro-teaching phases, its origin, and core objectives frequently appear in pedagogical evaluations like CTET, STET, and pedagogy modules of teaching recruitment tests. Aspirants should remember that micro-teaching aims to minimize pedagogical anxiety and maximize skill mastery via controlled feedback mechanisms, validating option (b) as the correct choice.