Lessons Learned During the Pandemic: Virtual Format for an Elementary Preservice Teacher Practicum Teaching Experience

• In Event: Responding to the Current Context: Exploring Implications for Responsive and Humanizing Practices in Teacher Education

Abstract

Due to the pandemic during the 2020-2021 academic year, teacher preparation programs were faced with a dilemma of providing practicum teaching field experiences for students enrolled in methods courses. One approach for dealing with this challenge was to have pre-service teachers (PSTs) teach each other and analyze their pedagogical decisions from examining videos of their teaching. Elementary PSTs taught a math unit on decimals/fractions through this practicum format. This study examined (a) PSTs’ perceptions of the nature of the teachers’ questions (low vs. higher-order thinking) posed to students to understand their thinking and (b) their perceptions of benefits and obstacles to pedagogical learning from this virtual math methods practicum experience. Based on the results, implications for teacher education are provided.

Authors

• Elaine Silva Mangiante, Salve Regina University

• Kaitlin GAbriele-Black