MICRO-TEACHING AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE IN SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER EDUCATION: PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

This study examines micro-teaching as a pedagogical mechanism for bridging the theory–practice gap in Social Studies teacher education through a multidimensional framework encompassing cognitive, affective, and behavioural outcomes. Despite its widespread use, limited empirical attention has been given to the processes through which micro-teaching simultaneously shapes these interrelated domains, particularly within developing educational contexts. Adopting a quantitative descriptive survey design within a path-analytic framework, data were collected from 394 pre-service Social Studies teachers using a structured questionnaire. Constructs were operationalised as composite indices and analysed using multiple regression and bootstrapped mediation techniques. The findings reveal that micro-teaching significantly predicts cognitive outcomes (â₁= 0.58) and affective outcomes (â₂ = 0.61), while both cognitive (â₃ = 0.46) and affective outcomes (â₄ = 0.50) significantly influence behavioural competence. A direct effect of micro- eaching on behavioural competence (â? = 0.39) was also established. Mediation confirms a partial mediation structure, with cognitive (â = 0.27) and affective (â = 0.31) outcomes operating as significant indirect pathways through which micro-teaching enhances teaching performance. Teacher education programmes should institutionalise micro-teaching as a core component of Social Studies teacher preparation, deliberately targeting cognitive understanding, lesson planning, teaching confidence and professional attitudes, while accreditation bodies such as the NUC and NCCE allocate adequate time, resources and trained supervisors to sustain quality practice.