Prospective Teachers‘ Barriers during Microteaching Course

Abstract

Microteaching is one of the methods for mastering teaching skills in a teaching institution. In conducting microteaching, teachers and students may experience difficulties or barriers. Barriers that will be discussed in this discussion are those prospective teachers with less teaching experience may encounter. This study aims to know about the barriers or problems faced by the students in the seventh semester of the English Education Study Program of IAIN Palangka Raya in conducting a microteaching course. The study uses a descriptive qualitative method. Interviews are used as a data collection technique to conduct preliminary research to find barriers. Eleventh student teachers were selected as participants by using purposive sampling. This study showed that student teachers faced specific problems during microteaching courses. The barriers were revealed from their interview result. The barriers faced by student teachers were categorized based on Bartell’s procedural, managerial, psychological, instructional, professional, cultural, and political categories. From the data collected, teacher students faced three main barriers during microteaching. The barriers are Managerial (time management, class management), Psychological (anxiety, nervous), and Instructional (Instructional practice, strategy of teaching). The other barriers, such as professional (appropriate limits and relationships between teachers and students) and cultural (language differences), were briefly discussed.