A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Pre-service Teachers in Online Practice Teaching amidst the Covid19 Pandemic

Abstract

The Lived Experiences of Pre-service teachers in the online practice teaching amidst the Covid -19 pandemic were examined in the study. A phenomenological qualitative study, it used interviews in the collection of data. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analyzed. In the Analysis of data, themes, sub themes and substantial statements were identified. Advantages and disadvantages of virtual practice teaching and the preferred modality of participants in practice teaching were explored. Disadvantages include: lack of training in online strategies; no real classroom experience; they were not able to apply the teaching strategies they learned; difficult to measure assessment result, and of utmost concern is the problem of internet connectivity. Thus, there is a need for technology training for virtual teaching before the actual practice, draw real life experiences for assignments and projects to ensure originality of work, and leniency in dealing with students with problems of connectivity.