Practicum Challenges that Preservice Teachers Faced when Teaching Kindergarten Students Online

Abstract

This qualitative case study aimed to explore the experiences of a group of pre-service English teachers through their professional practicum during the fall term in 2021 in kindergarten contexts delivered online. The questionnaire applied to a group of ten pre-service teachers identified their struggles and the pedagogies they implemented to solve their difficulties when they shifted from face-to-face classes to virtual scenarios. The study found that the academic conditions the preservice English teachers experienced in kindergarten classrooms worked as a catalytic agent to grow and learn how to use platforms with technologies that they had not used before. The significant challenges were the existing infrastructure in schools and homes, parental involvement and implementing appropriate pedagogies to use with young learners. Their experiences also dealt with the management of their own emotions and teaching knowledge.