What a Long, Strange Trip: Examining Three Years of the Influence of COVID-19 on Teacher Preparation

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Knowledge Across Educational Contexts (Table 35)

Abstract

One of the most meaningful components of teacher education is providing opportunities for students to gain clinical experience in P-12 school settings. During the 2020-22 school years, P-12 schools took necessary safety precautions because of COVID-19, which included closing their doors to outside visitors and forcing schools of education to provide pre-service teachers with alternatives to field-based learning. Drawing from interviews, surveys, and course documents over three years, we examine the rise and fall of student teachers’ beliefs and perceptions about teaching, given these alternative pedagogies, and discuss the lessons learned about the more meaningful and sustainable practices that can be implemented into education programs to enhance the preparation of preservice teachers.

Authors

• Stephanie L. Brown, Florida State University

• Chrystine Mitchell, Alvernia University