https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2457-0126
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ABSTRACT
The 2019 Coronavirus pandemic has triggered significant changes in education systems worldwide and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes have been particularly affected by the associated challenges. Due to school closures, teaching placements have had to shift from the face-to-face lessons to an entirely virtual model. Twenty-seven Chilean English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher candidates participated in this interpretative case study aiming at exploring the challenges and opportunities of this virtual teaching experience. The results indicate that factors such as the lack of direct interaction with learners and the sudden change of setting were among those that most strongly affected the participants’ own learning process. Despite the challenges presented, student teachers suggested that this unique experience would contribute positively, at least to a certain extent, to their teacher education and their future careers. Based on the findings of this study, a series of recommendations for ITE programmes are provided.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Author contribution
Paulina Sepulveda-Escobar is an EFL teacher educator currently studying for her doctoral degree at the University of Exeter. Her main research interests include teachers’ professional learning, initial teacher education and professional learning communities.
Astrid Morrison is an EFL teacher educator from Chile. She is currently working on her PhD at the department of English language and Applied Linguistics at the University of Reading. Her research interests include second language acquisition, in particular L2 fluency development and initial teacher education.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Paulina Sepulveda-Escobar
Paulina Sepulveda-Escobar is an EFL teacher educator currently studying for her doctoral degree at the University of Exeter. Her main research interests include teachers’ professional learning, initial teacher education and professional learning communities.
Astrid Morrison
Astrid Morrison is an EFL teacher educator from Chile. She is currently working on her PhD at the department of English language and Applied Linguistics at the University of Reading. Her research interests include second language acquisition, L2 fluency and initial teacher education.