Rethinking the Practicum after the COVID-19 Crisis: Insights from Pre-service EFL Teachers

This qualitative study aims to investigate the insights of Turkish pre-service EFL teachers about their school practicum experiences after the pandemic. To achieve this aim, fourteen pre-service EFL teachers at a university in Turkey shared their experiences and observations for two semesters in the process of their school practicum. The relevant data was collected via weekly reflection papers and semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The results put forward that pre-service EFL teachers feel themselves unready and stressed after spending two years with online education and having fewer teaching practices. Also, this study indicates the changing classroom practices after returning to face-to-face education and the need to redesign school practicum in accordance with these alterations. Additionally, this study aims to make contributions to the relevant literature by giving place to the suggestions made by pre-service teachers in the post-pandemic era. The findings of this study also have implications for teacher education programs in terms of preparing pre-service EFL teachers for unexpected changes in education.