Exploring the difficulties faced by Hong Kong pre-service teachers in the resumption of face-to-face teaching during COVID-19

As the Covid-19 pandemic gradually stabilized, pre-service teachers whose teaching placement was changed from online teaching to face-to-face teaching. This study aims to explore the difficulties faced by Hong Kong pre-service teachers in the resumption of the face-to-face teaching process during COVID-19 and lessons gained from difficulties, as well as the factors that lead to their difficulties. This study adopts mixed methods research using the questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews. After analyzing data, the current research discovered: 1. four significant categories of difficulties pre-service teachers faced during the internship, which were teaching content and restriction, teaching strategies, classroom management, and psychological pressure; 2. three major lessons pre-service teachers learned, which were teaching strategies, social skills, and self-management; 3. four factors leading to pre-service teachers’ difficulties, which were teachers’ self-efficacy, social-emotional ability, resilience, and positive reinforcement. This study provides benefits for Hong Kong schools, school teachers (i.e., both pre-and in-service teachers), universities, and researchers by using the results to build effective teaching strategies, offer emotional support for school teachers, enhance the effectiveness of teaching and teacher education, as well as provide an insight into future market trends in the education sector.