How are Preservice Teachers Discursively Positioned During Microteaching - The Views of Student Teachers in Hong Kong

Oct 15, 2026

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This paper reports findings from a qualitative study using in-depth interviews to examine six pre-service teachers’ experiences and perceptions during microteaching at a tertiary institution in Hong Kong. Grounded in dialogism and positioning theory, it analyzes how competing discourses both offer and deny positions as participants plan and implement microlessons. Results link discourse competition to negative emotional experiences, which can prompt doubts about microteaching efficacy. The study urges teacher educators to reveal these discourses and support agency.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Practice turn in teacher education and praxis shock

Microteaching as clinical practice and approximations of teaching

Student perspectives, anxiety, and performative framing

How are Preservice Teachers Discursively Positioned During Microteaching? The Views of Student Teachers in Hong Kong John Trent The Education University of Hong Kong Abstract: This paper reports the results ofa qualitative study that used in-depth interviews to understand the experiences and perceptions of six pre-service teachers as they engaged in microteaching at a tertiary institution in Hong Kong. Using a framework grounded in dialogism and positioning theory, the study describes the ways in which different discourses offer, as well as deny, positions to the pre-service teachers as they planned and implemented microlessons. The results suggest that competition between these discourses to position pre-service teachers can result in microteaching being associated with negative emotional experiences, such as disappointment, isolation, and frustration. This emotional dissonance is shown to lead some pre service teachers to question the efficacy ofmicroteaching. The paper therefore argues that it is imperative for teacher educators to support pre-service teachers ’ engagement in microteaching by revealing the presence of these discourses and by exploring how the latter can exercise agency by accepting, resisting, or rejecting the positions made available to them during their microteaching experience. Suggestions for future research are also considered. Keywords: microteaching; approximations of teaching; pre-service teachers; positioning theory; dialogism, Hong Kong. Introduction Internationally, teacher educators are increasingly concerned with how pre-service teachers learn to teach in practice (Canrinus et al., 2019; Hennissen et al., 2017; Jenset et al., 2018) . Termed the ‘practice turn’ in teacher education (Cochran-Smith, 2016), many countries, including Australia, consider pre-service teachers´ school experiences crucial components of this learning and hence essential to their preparation for a teaching career (Murray, 2016) . This turn represents a response to the “praxis shock” some novice teachers experience as they transition from pre-service teacher to employment as a school-based educator (Edwards & Nutall, 2015) . Underlying this shock is a mismatch between expectations of teachers’ professional life and the day-to-day realities of teaching. Praxis shock is associated with burnout, attrition, and low levels of job satisfaction amongst teachers (Ballantyne & Retell, 2020) . Praxis shock might be alleviated by grounding teacher education programmes in classroom practice (Jenset et al., 2018) . Practice-based approaches situate a suite of instructional practices – including leading classroom discussions, giving instructions, and providing feedback to learners – at the heart of teacher education (Grossman & Macdonald, 2008). Having access to safe, supportive environments of reduced complexity where pre-service teachers can, with guidance, practice these skills is essential (Grossman et al., 2009). Providing such environments necessitates connecting teacher education programmes to practice in sites beyond schools: coursework and university-based experiences must also be considered crucial sites in which these connections can be realized (Jensett et al., 2018) . Grossman and McDonald (2008) point out that university-based teacher education programmes frequently consider field experiences to be the primary sites at which pre-service teachers will acquire such skills. Yet teacher educators have limited capacity to shape the professional education of pre-service teachers within these sites. Pre-service teachers should therefore also be provided with clinical environments that afford “intensive, focused opportunities to experiment with aspects of practice and then learn from that experience” (Grossman & McDonald, 2008, p. 189) . Within a university-based teacher education programme, microteaching can supply these learning opportunities. Microteaching is a procedure “in which d

FAQs

How does the paper explain teachers’ “praxis shock” in teacher education?

It describes a mismatch between expectations of teachers’ professional life and everyday teaching realities, which is associated with burnout, attrition, and lower job satisfaction.

What definition of microteaching does the paper use?

Microteaching is described as practicing teaching skills under carefully controlled conditions, often with a student-teacher teaching a part of a lesson to classmates.

What emotional outcomes does the study connect to discourses during microteaching?

The paper suggests that competition between discourses that position pre-service teachers can produce negative emotions such as disappointment, isolation, and frustration, leading some participants to question microteaching’s efficacy.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Kurz