Important features of micro-teaching are as follows:
1. Micro-Element: It is based on the supposition that before one attempts to understand, learn and perform effectively complicated task of teaching, one should first master the components of that task.
2. Technical Skills of Teaching and Teaching Strategies: A repertoire of teaching skills like lecturing, questioning or leading a discussion and mastery of teaching strategies is another important feature of micro-teaching
3. The Feed-Back Element: It is another important element of micro-teaching. At present, “feed back” in the students teachers is ordinarily based >n supervisor’s recall and selective note-taking the evaluation of student teacher’s performance is based on overall impressions. In it subjective factors affect the evaluation and in the absence of objective criteria the student teacher may overtly or covertly oppose supervisor’s evaluations and suggestions.
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Following are some of the important sources of feed-back in the micro-teaching laboratory:
(a) Oral feed-back of the laboratory supervisor.
(b) Questionnaires filled in by the pupils learning in the micro- lesson.
(c) Audio-tape recordings.
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(d) Video-tape recordings.
4. Safe Practice Grounds.
5. The Teaching Models: There are many styles of good teaching and trainees will develop their own individual styles using these models as guide.
6. The Research Laboratory: According to Allen and Ryan, the following areas of research appear to make the most effective use of micro-teaching setting:
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(a) In-house studies designed to optimize the procedures and sequences in micro-teaching situations.
(b) Research in modeling and supervising techniques.
(c) Task-analysis of the teaching act and the investigation of the relationships between teaching behaviour and student performances.
(d) Aptitude treatment interaction studies to try to provide optimal training procedures for teachers with different abilities, interests and backgrounds.