Microteaching Process and its Impact on Teacher Training Programs in the University of Bamenda

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of the microteaching process on student teachers in teacher training programs. Methodology: This study was guided by the effect of reinforcement, explanation and questioning skill of microteaching on student teachers’ teaching performance during their teaching practice. The study employed a quantitative research approach which made use of a cross-sectional survey design. The purposive sampling technique was adopted in order to get to student teachers who have carried out the microteaching process. The 0 level 400 student teachers, who were randomly selected from the Higher Teacher Training College, Higher Technical Teacher Training College and 30 from the Faculty of Education, all in the University of Bamenda, Cameroon. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data which was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS version 23). Statements related to the objective was cumulated to obtain a composite score for each skill. Findings: The total score for each skill was used to compute the Pearson’s correlation coefficient and the correlation was significant at the level of 0.05 both for reinforcement and questioning skill and 0.01 level for explanation skill. These skills therefore, had significant effect on the student teachers’ teaching performance during their teaching practice. Thus, the findings established that there exists a significant impact of the microteaching process on student teachers. Conclusion: This study shows that microteaching process has a significant impact on student teachers in teacher training programs. This helps in building teaching skill that will enable them to shift from the traditional ways of teaching to building critical thinking and problem solving skills in students. Recommendation: The study recommended that educational policy makers, curriculum developers and teacher educators introduce this course to student teachers from the first year of their program.