Exploring the Impact of Microteaching in Strengthening Feedback Quality in Medical Education Delivery

Dear Editor, Acknowledging the vast nature of the medical curriculum, where students are expected to master multiple knowledge and skills-related competencies, it is the responsibility of teachers to facilitate learning among them.[1] Effective feedback is a vital strategy in medical education delivery, as it aids students in remembering key components, thereby better knowledge retention.[2] Constructive feedback helps students ascertain their strengths and areas that need improvement, enabling them to refine their practical and clinical skills.[1,2] Moreover, timely feedback encourages students to reflect on their performance, making them self-aware and simultaneously encouraging critical thinking.[2,3] Feedback also aids in improving professionalism and ethical conduct by giving insights to them about the importance of interpersonal communication, teamwork, and compassionate care.[1-3] Further, effective feedback creates a culture of constant improvement, boosts the confidence of students, and eventually brings about an improvement in patient care outcomes.[1,2] Multiple strategies have been advocated to improve the feedback delivery skills of teachers, and one of these has been through the employment of microteaching.[4] The impact of microteaching on the quality of feedback given to the teachers (during microteaching sessions) and the students, in general, is immense.[4] The feedback provided to teachers is specific and precise, making it more relevant and actionable for specific teaching skills.[5] As we envisage delivery of prompt feedback, it enables teachers to bring about adjustment in their teaching techniques immediately.[5] Further, considering that sessions are taken in low-stakes settings, teachers are open to receiving suggestions for improvement, as they know that the aim is to ensure professional growth and not judge them.[6] This translates to being receptive to feedback and their readiness to modify their teaching styles. In addition, as teachers not only receive but even deliver feedback to their peers, they realize the significance of feedback in the delivery of education and its attributes (namely, clear, constructive, and supportive).[5,6] Moreover, as feedback aligns with the specific learning objectives of the microsession, the feedback brings about the desired improvement, including practicing methods to ensure active engagement of the students.[3-5] This form of teaching encourages peer-to-peer feedback, which aids in the creation of a collaborative learning environment, which is crucial to enhance learning.[7] As teachers engage in microsessions, the provided feedback is given based on the observed performance of the teachers and not on subjective impressions.[4] In the long run, this establishes a culture of giving and receiving effective feedback in the institution, where both teachers and students seek feedback to become better and refine their teaching skills.[5,7] In short, microteaching tends to bring about improvement in teaching quality and indirectly aid in the process of attainment of learning outcomes by students.[4,7] In conclusion, microteaching is an effective approach to acquiring teaching skills in a nonthreatening and feedback-driven environment. These sessions tend to bring about an improvement in the quality of feedback given by the teachers to their peers as well as the students regarding their performances. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.