STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF FACTORS AFFECTING SPEAKING ANXIETY IN THE MICROTEACHING CLASS

This study seeks to examine pre-service English teachers’ perceptions of the factors contributing to speaking anxiety in a microteaching classroom context. Specifically, it aims to identify and analyze both internal and external factors that influence students’ anxiety during microteaching performances. Employing a descriptive qualitative research design supported by quantitatively described data, the study collected data through a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The participants were fifth-semester students of an English Education program enrolled in a Microteaching course. The findings indicate that speaking anxiety is shaped by a combination of internal and external determinants. Limited vocabulary mastery and emotional responses emerged as the dominant internal factors, whereas classroom atmosphere, peer collaboration, and lecturer evaluation were identified as the most influential external factors. The results of this study offer valuable implications for teacher education programs, particularly within microteaching courses, by highlighting the importance of fostering a supportive learning environment to help reduce students’ speaking anxiety during teaching practice. This research contributes a novel perspective to the existing literature by emphasizing the performance-oriented nature of speaking anxiety among pre-service teachers and underscoring the significant role of external contextual factors in shaping their anxiety experiences.