In-depth reflective learning of student teachers from field experience during the COVID-19 pandemic

Teaching practice (Field Experience, FE) is perceived by students as the most challenging yet the most valuable component in their teacher education. They meet various challenges and obtain deep learning through reflection on their FE. Under the COVID-19 pandemic, student teachers have confronted unprecedented challenges in their teaching practice at the front line. This paper investigates how different pre-service teachers coped with dynamic school contexts during the special period by analysing their reflection in the post-FE ePortfolios. Following an interpretative phenomenology approach, a total of 20 FE ePortfolios with Distinction recommended by corresponding co-ordinators were collected from seven full-time teacher education programmes, coded and analysed thoroughly. Numerous outstanding themes were identified. Students demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the placement school’s educational philosophy, goals, policies, and practices; appropriately applied the pedagogical knowledge to cater for diverse needs of their students; constructively reviewed and evaluated the process and outcomes of their own teaching attempts and ethical practices, and provided reasonable solutions to the problems they confronted during their FE. In particular, students reflected deeply on their contingency teaching plans amid the COVID-19 pandemic and their experience of virtual and authentic teaching. Findings of this exploratory study can add to the literature on student learning from FE under exceptional challenging circumstances. Copyright © 2021 International Conference on Learning and Teaching.