At the beginning, we proposed the topic of the water cycle, but when we realized that the target students were of the same age as the second-year university students, we decided to dismiss this topic. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development (Piaget, 1976), university students are typically in the formal operational stage, being in this stage, possess advanced cognitive abilities. They can handle abstract concepts, engage in logical reasoning, and demonstrate higher-level problem-solving skills. It seemed that simple knowledge of the water cycle no longer suited them. Vygotsky's theory emphasises that learning should take place in authentic social situations, choosing materials that are relevant to real-world applications and practices can help students better apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world problems (Hausfather, 1996). Therefore, our group decided to link the water cycle to the recent factual hotline of Japan's nuclear wastewater into the sea, invoking water pollution. Due to its geographical location, Malaysia is also suffering from haze caused by the burning of forests in neighbouring Indonesia. Air pollution as a complement.
At the same time pollution can be effectively incorporated into university student curricula as an initiative educational topic. By introducing pollution in the lecture, educators can provide students with valuable insights into the environmental challenges we face today and equip them with the knowledge to become responsible global citizens. According to Suarlin & Ali, (2020), environmental education can influence the environmentally friendly behavior of university students by providing them with knowledge, values, attitudes, and practical skills to actively participate in environmental improvement and protection. Especially teaching university students about pollution allows them to understand the various types of pollution that exist in our world like air pollution or water pollution, helping students recognize their causes and effects on both human health and ecosystems.
In designing our lessons, we focused on using the teaching strategies we had previously learnt. In particular, on the topic of learning objectives in lecture 8, in that lesson we learnt that the definition of Smart Goal contains used to define goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (Doran, 1981). We also incorporate these five key elements into our goal setting, for example, in objective 1 we ensure that students get 3/4 of their exams correct, that quiz reflects measurability. Objective 2, where we asked students to compare two countries affected by pollution in 10 minutes, reflects the specificity and time-bound nature of the objective: objective 3, where we asked students to come up with a poster of the corresponding measures they designed, reflects relevance.
I was assigned the summarising section, elaborating on the impacts of and solutions to water and air pollution, as well as a call to action. This was also the first time I did a summary in micro-teaching; my group members gave me a lot of encouragement and help. Each of my group members took the initiative to distil the key points from their respective sections and shared them with me, which greatly facilitated my task of summarizing the overall content. By condensing complex information into concise summaries, they made it easier for me to grasp and present the essential aspects related to water and air pollution.
Rehearsal
The lecturer, who was a highly responsible teacher, arranged a rehearsal for us the day before the formal presentation, which gesture demonstrated their dedication to ensuring our success and alleviating any potential anxiety we may have had. 😃
The rehearsal of the presentation greatly relieved the anxiety caused by the uncertainty of the formal presentation. It provided us with an opportunity to practice and familiarise ourselves with the content, flow, and timing of our micro teaching.
During this dress rehearsal, the lecturer suggested some modifications for us like enhancing our interactive sessions by combining higher-order questioning strategies. She also expected me to be able to teach more fluently and confidently in formal presentations, without relying on my script. Her guidance literally helped us refine our delivery techniques and engage more effectively with our audience.
Formal Presentation
On the day of the formal presentation, as I watched the first two groups confidently deliver their presentations, a wave of nerves washed over me. The pressure to perform well and meet the lecturer's expectations seemed almost suffocating. My mind raced with thoughts about whether or not I had prepared enough and if my delivery would be engaging enough for my peers.
The memories from Year 1 came flooding back to me - those moments before stepping into a classroom full of eager Grade 6 students, hoping that they would respond positively to what I had planned for them. But this time around, it felt even more daunting. Teaching sixth graders may have been challenging in its own right but standing in front of my fellow classmates added an extra layer of pressure. These were individuals who shared similar knowledge and experiences with me; they knew what good teaching looked like and wouldn't hesitate to critique any shortcomings. I couldn't help but question myself: would they find value in what I had taught? Would they engage with the materials? These doubts gnawed at me as each minute passed by.
At the podium, my mind went blank, but I mustered up all my courage and relied on the countless hours of practice sessions to guide me through. The weight of the moment seemed to hang in the air as I took a deep breath and began speaking
Although I finished my part ultimately, I was also aware of my problem in the teaching process, I didn't motivate the classroom atmosphere of teacher-student interaction, I just flatly expounded the knowledge points. According to Suwandi (2012), when the teacher and students, and students and students’ interactions happen, the instruction will reach the target. This is something I need to learn from my group member Aimi, she can always activate the classroom atmosphere and attract students' attention very well.
Career inspiration
I am grateful for this experience as it allowed me not only to enhance my summarization skills but also taught me valuable lessons about effective collaboration within a team setting. Through this project, I learned how important it is for individuals within a group to support one another by sharing knowledge, offering guidance, and encouraging each other's growth.
The subsequent undergraduate studies have also made me aware of the need to shift the focus of my studies more towards teaching practice and to try to incorporate teacher-student interactions in micro-teaching. Micro-teaching provided a platform for me to apply theoretical concepts to real-life scenarios by designing lesson plans, delivering them to small groups of peers or even actual students, and receiving constructive feedback from both fellow classmates and instructors.
Lastly, I would like to thank the lecturer and my girls.Girls can help girls~
References
Doran, G. T. (1981). There’sa SMART way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management review, 70(11), 35-36.
Hausfather, S. J. (1996). Vygotsky and Schooling: Creating a Social Context for Learning. Action in Teacher Education, 18(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.1996.10462828
Piaget, J. (1976). Piaget’s Theory. Piaget and His School, 11–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46323-5_2
Suarlin, S., & Ali, M. I. (2020). The Effect of Environmental Education Learning on Students at University. International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education, 2(3), 49–56. https://doi.org/10.55151/ijeedu.v2i3.39
Suwandi, S. (2012). DESIGNING A CLASSROOM LANGUAGE TEST FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. ETERNAL (English Teaching Journal), 1(1). https://doi.org/10.26877/eternal.v1i1.153
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