Innovative Practices Implemented by Preservice Teachers During Their Field Experience: Lesson Learnt from Face-to-Face and Online Field Placement

Document Type

Book Chapter

Source of Publication

Handbook of Research on Teacher Education

Publication Date

7-8-2022

Abstract

Field experienceField experience otherwise known as practice teaching or practicum became the foundation of teacher preparation programsTeacher preparation programs bridging the gap between theory and practice. The practical/field experience is viewed as a significant learning curve for preservice teachersPreservice teachers as it provides them with the opportunity to build their pedagogical proficiencies in preparation to joining the workforce. To that end, teacher preparation programsTeacher preparation programs should be well structured and maintain strong collaborations with partner schools in which preservice teachers are placed during their field experience. It is as equally important to specify the role of mentors and ensure direct communication between them and preservice teachers. In the United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates (UAE), the challenges for preservice teachers in their field experienceField experience have been explored. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and owing to the subsequent and sudden shift to online learning, preservice teachers became involved, for the first time, in virtual field placement. Hence, the purpose of this chapter is to provide (1) an understanding of preservice teachersPreservice teachers attitudes toward online field placementOnline field placement and (2) a summary about their challenges in both face-to-face and online field placementOnline field placement. Furthermore, this chapter highlights the innovative practices that were implemented during their teaching experience to help them adapt to the unprecedented changes and overcome the challenges they faced. This chapter will start with a description of field experienceField experience and its benefits to preservice teachersPreservice teachers. This will be followed by a presentation of the structure of field experience in the UAEUnited Arab Emirates and a highlight of the main challenges that preservice teachers faced during their face-to-face and virtual field experienceField experience during the pandemic. The last section will discuss the innovative practices that were adopted to allow preservice teachersPreservice teachers to acclimatize to the sudden transition to virtual learning and will provide main key points and takeaways.

ISBN

9789811924002

Publisher

Springer Nature Singapore

First Page

141

Last Page

152

Disciplines

Education

Keywords

Preservice teachers, Field experience, Online field placement, Teacher preparation programs, United Arab Emirates

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

no

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