Micro-Teaching Redefined: How Short-Cycle Reflective Teaching Improves Instructional Quality in Primary Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63011/xq99v853Keywords:
instructional quality, micro-teaching, primary education, reflective practice, teacher professional developmentAbstract
The existing body of research on micro-teaching in primary education has largely emphasized skill rehearsal and peer feedback, while offering limited empirical insight into how iterative, short-cycle reflection systematically shapes instructional quality in authentic school contexts. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to examine the contribution of short-cycle reflective micro-teaching to teachers’ instructional decision-making, pedagogical coherence, and classroom responsiveness. Employing a qualitative-dominant mixed-methods case study design, the research was conducted in three private primary schools in West Java, Indonesia. Participants consisted of 24 primary school teachers selected through purposive sampling. Data were generated through structured micro-teaching observations and semi-structured interviews, enabling triangulation across practice-based and reflective sources. The findings indicate that short-cycle reflective micro-teaching fostered greater pedagogical intentionality, clearer instructional sequencing, and heightened awareness of learner engagement. Teachers demonstrated improved alignment between lesson objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment practices, although variations emerged in reflective depth and consistency across participants. Time constraints, uneven reflective skills, and contextual pressures occasionally limited sustained pedagogical refinement. Overall, the study suggests that redefining micro-teaching as a cyclical, reflection-driven process offers a nuanced pathway for enhancing instructional quality in primary education, while also highlighting structural and professional conditions necessary for its effective implementation.
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