Conquering Challenges in Microteaching Implementation in Medical Institutions
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Dear Editor, Microteaching is a teaching approach that gives a platform for teachers to practice and refine their teaching skills in controlled settings.[1] Once a teacher delivers a brief lesson to their peers or students, they receive feedback and are encouraged to reflect upon their performance, and this cycle is repeated to strengthen specific aspects of teaching skills.[1] The constructive feedback obtained from peers or supervisors helps teachers to improve their teaching skills, and this is further helped as the teaching happens in a low-pressure environment.[2,3] The platform helps teachers not only learn from the received feedback but also by observing the performance of their peers and by reflecting upon their performance.[1,2] Microteaching targets mastering competencies in controlled settings enabling teachers to improve their skills, including lesson planning (namely formulating achievable specific learning objectives, structuring the lesson logically, and using instructional methods that are in alignment with learning objectives, etc.), and competency on presentation and explanation (wherein teachers learn the art of delivering content clearly at an appropriate pace using a language suitable for the student’s level of understanding, emphasizing key points, avoiding ambiguities, clearing common doubts, etc.).[1,2] Teachers also get a chance to refine their questioning skills competency (namely developing questions that encourage critical thinking, using a combination of open-ended and closed-ended questions, etc.) and classroom management skills (such as maintaining a positive and disciplined learning environment, time management in class, and handling disruptive behavior in class).[3,4] In addition, teachers also learn the competency of using appropriate teaching aids relevant to the content, nonverbal communication competency (such as the use of body language, facial expressions, and gestures to support verbal communication, maintaining eye contact, modulating voice tone, etc.), and competency to deliver feedback skills (including active listening, providing constructive feedback, adhering to feedback frameworks, etc.).[1-4] The implementation of microteaching sessions in a medical college is bound to have some concerns that must be dealt with to attain the desired results. The most important concern is the time-consuming nature of such sessions considering it requires lots of planning, and that both teachers and students have packed schedules.[3,4] This calls for the need that such sessions should be planned well in advance, preferably on weekends, and should be of small duration where specific skills are being targeted.[4] The institute can even explore the possibility of implementing asynchronous (recorded) sessions, as it is beneficial for both the presenter and peers/supervisors (can observe at their convenience and provide feedback).[5] The next major concern is the resistance of teachers to participate in microteaching sessions due to the fear or ego issues that they don’t need any improvements.[6] An effective approach will be to organize an orientation session for teachers to make them realize the merits, and that these sessions are being conducted to refine their skills and not identify their mistakes.[2] Some of the senior teachers can be involved to share their positive experiences on how microteaching helped them to become better.[2] It will be a good strategy to initially conduct a few sessions and then gradually increase the number of such sessions once encouraging results are obtained. There is a definite possibility that the nature of feedback given can vary depending on the experience and expertise of the peers, and the delivery of inconsistent feedback can jeopardize the effectiveness of the entire process.[3] These concerns can be dealt with by formulating a structured feedback template or rubrics that act as a referring document for the observers to provide specific, consistent, and constructive feedback.[1,3] Furthermore, teachers can be trained in the art of delivering effective feedback to improve the quality of the overall process.[4] Finally, as microteaching is generally organized in small groups, it is a challenge for institutes to expand the program to all faculty members.[4] The potential remedial measures include the conduct of group microteaching (where multiple teachers engage in teaching while others observe and give feedback) or resorting to digital platforms for recording, sharing, and reviewing such sessions.[2,5] In conclusion, microteaching plays a crucial role in improving the teaching skills of faculty members. The need of the hour is to thoroughly plan, train faculty members in microteaching, and extend institutional support for favorable outcomes. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4407957830