Teaching Practicum Courses in COVID-19 Pandemic Period: Example of Preschool Teaching Undergraduate Program

Öz

The purpose of the study is to examine the results of lecturing the Teaching Practicum I and II courses included within the curriculum of the final year of Preschool Teaching/Education undergraduate programs of various universities in Türkiye through distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic period according to experiences and viewpoints of preservice teachers. The research is a phenomenological study among qualitative research designs. The study group is comprised of 93 preservice teachers in the final year of the 2020-2021 education year who receive their teaching practice lectures through distance education. The results show that although the pandemic period has some positive effects on the personal lives of preservice teachers, the negative effects of this process are more distinct. Almost all of the participants mentioned that they performed online practices with preschool children, and more than half of them mentioned that they had difficulty performing practice lessons. Results concerning the questions about the knowledge of field and profession showed that preservice teachers considered their level of competence for all items in the pandemic period to be a middle level; and that they would have had much higher levels of competence if the pandemic period did not exist.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Teacher education
• Distance education
• COVID-19
• Preschool teacher
• Preservice teacher

Kaynakça

1. Allen, J. M., & Wright, S. E. (2014). Integrating theory and practice in the preservice teacher education practicum. Teachers and Teaching 20 (2): 136–151. doi:10.1080/13540602.2013.848568.
2. Ates Cobanoglu, A. & Cobanoglu, I. (2021). Do Turkısh student teachers feel ready for onlıne learnıng ın post-covıd tımes? a study of onlıne learnıng readıness. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 22 (3) , 270-280 . DOI: 10.17718/tojde.961847.
3. Aygüneş, A., Mirzeoğlu, D. & Güneş, B. (2022). Stakeholder opinions about the teaching practice course by distance education. Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University Journal of ISS, 12(1),271-292. https://doi.org/10.30783/nevsosbilen.1064915.
4. Bayındır, N. (2021). Reviews of preservice teachers about remote web-based teaching practices. Journal of Education in Eskisehir Osmangazi University Turkic World Apply and Research Center, 6 (1), 1-11 https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/estudamegitim/issue/.
5. Bozkurt, A.& Sharma, R.C. (2020). Emergency distance teaching in a time of global crisis due to coronavirus pandemic. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15 (1): i–vi.
6. Bulguroğlu, H. İ., Bulguroğlu, M., & Özaslan, A. (2021). Investigation of physical activity, quality of life and depression levels of university students during the covid-19 pandemic process. Acıbadem University Health Sciences Journal, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.31067/acusaglik.852175.
7. Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E. K., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş. & Demirel, F. (2015). Scientific Research Methods. Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık.
8. Caires, S., L. Almeida, & D. Vieira (2012). Becoming a teacher: student teachers’ experiences and perceptions about teaching practice. European Journal of Teacher Education, 35 (2): 163-178. doi:10.1080/02619768.2011.643395.

9. Cao W., Fang Z., Hou G., Han M., Xu X., Dong J., and Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research, 287:112934. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934.
10. CoHE (2020a). Turkish higher education in pandemic days. Retrieved December 20, 2021 from https://COVID19.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/HaberDuyuru/pandemi-gunlerinde-turk-yuksekogretimi.aspx .
11. CoHE (2020b). CoHE lessons platform open for students. Retrieved December 20, 2021 from https://www.yok.gov.tr/HaberBelgeleri/BasinDuyurusu/2020/yok-dersleri-platformuerisime-acildi.pdf.
12. CoHE (2020c). Good News for student teachers. Retrieved December 20, 2021 from https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Haberler/2020/ogretmen-adayi-ogrencileremujde.asp
13. CoHE (2020d). CoHE internship facilitation for students with applied education. Retrieved December 20, 2021 from https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/ Haberler/2020/uygulamali-egitimdedegisiklik.aspx
14. CoHE (2018). New teacher education programs. Retrieved December 20, 2021 from https://www.yok.gov. tr/Documents/Kurumsal//Yeni-Ogretmen-Yetistirme-Lisans Programlari/Onsoz_Uygulama_Yonergesi.pdf
15. CoHE (1998). Faculty school colloboration manual. Council of Higher Education.
16. Creswell, J. W. (2017). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
17. Çubuk, B. (2020). Coming with covid-19 lost object, mourning and depression. Yalova University Social Sciences Journal, 10. P. 90-99.
18. Didin M., Yavuz B. & Gezgin Yazıcı H. (2022). Effect of covid-19 on students' stress, anxiety, depression, fear levels: systematic review. Current Approaches in Psychiatry, 14(1): 38-45. DOI: 10.18863/pgy.931572.
19. Doğan, S. (2020). Analysis of 100 letters written by university students to covid-19. Jotunal of Turkic World Researchers, 126, p.25-40.
20. Donitsa-Schmidt, S. & Ramot, R. (2020). Opportunities and challenges: teacher education in Israel in the COVID-19 pandemic, Journal of Education for Teaching, 46:4, 586-595, DOI: 10.1080/02607476.2020.1799708.
21. Eti, İ. & Karaduman, B. (2020). Investigation of covid-19 pandemic process in terms of professional competences of teacher candidates. Millî Eğitim, 49 (1), 635-656.
22. Flores, M.A. & Gago, M. (2020). Teacher education in times of COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal: national, institutional and pedagogical responses, Journal of Education for Teaching, 46:4, 507-516, DOI: 10.1080/02607476.2020.1799709.
23. González-Calvo, G., Barba-Martín, R. A., Bores-García, D., & Gallego-Lema, V. (2020). Learning to be a teacher without being in the classroom: COVID-19 as a threat to the professional development of future teachers. International and Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences, 9(2), 152-177. https://doi.org/10.17583/rimcis.2020.5783.
24. Gök Çolak, F. & Efeoğlu, G. (2021). Needs analysis for practicum course while getting back to normal: swot analysis sample. The Journal of Kesit Academy, 7 (27), 176-197. http://dx.doi.org/10.29228/kesit.51140.
25. Güven, S. & Uçar, M., (2021). Opi̇ni̇ons of pre-servi̇ce teachers on di̇stance educati̇on and teachi̇ng practi̇ce course. Journal of Awareness. 6(3):165-183, doi: 10.26809/joa.6.3.07.
26. Hill. J. B. (2021). Preservice teacher experiences during COVID 19: exploring the uncertainties between clinical practice and distance learning. Journal of Practical Studies in Education, 2(2), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.46809/jpse.v2i2.18.
27. Jiménez-Pavón D, Carbonell-Baeza A & Lavie CJ. (2020). Physical exercise as a therapy to fight against the mental and physical consequences of COVID-19 quarantine: Special focus on older people. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, (63)3, 386-388. doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2020.03.009.
28. Karadüz, A., Eser, Y., Şahin, C. & İlbay, A. B. (2009). The effectiveness of teaching practice module in opinions of final-year student teachers. Mustafa Kemal University Social Sciences Instution Journal, 6(11), 442-455.
29. Karahan, E., Bozan, M.A. &Akçay, A.O. (2020). The online learning experiences of primary school pre-service teachers during the covid-19 pandemic process. Electronic Turkish Studies, 15(4). DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.44348.
30. Karatepe, F., Küçükgençay, N., & Peker, B. (2020). What are the perspectives of teacher candidates on synchronous distance education?: a survey study. Journal of Social and Humanities Sciences Research, 7(53), 1262-1274. http://dx.doi.org/10.26450/jshsr.1868.
31. Kılıç, D. (2004). The evaluation of the effects of the teaching practice coruses on teacher candidates. Atatürk University Kazım Karabekir Faculty of Education Journal, 10, 172-184.
32. Lau, J., Yang, B. & Dasgupta, R. (2020). Will the coronavirus make online education go viral? timeshighereducation.com Retrieved March 12, 2022 from https://www. timeshighereducation.com/features/ will- coronavirus-make-online-education-go-viral.
33. Long, C.S., Sinclair, B.B., Fraser, B.J. et al. (2021). Preservice teachers’ perceptions of learning environments before and after pandemic-related course disruption. Learning Environment Research, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-021-09376-9.
34. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis (2. Ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
35. Ministry of National Education Practice student assessment system. www.uod.meb.gov.tr.
36. Ogel-Balaban, H. (2022). The relationship between university students’ attitudes toward online education and their stress during covid-19 pandemic. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 23 (2), 45-57 . DOI: 10.17718/tojde.1095740.
37. Ramazan, O., & Yılmaz, E. (2017). Analyzing the views of pre-service preschool teachers related to school experience and teaching practices. Abant İzzet Baysal University Faculty of Education Journal, 17 (1), 332-349.
38. Sever, M., & Özdemir, S. (2020). The experience of being a student during coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic: a photovoice study. Society and Social Service, 31(4), 1653-1679. https://doi.org/10.33417/tsh.778615.
39. Ünal, S. & Durmuş, Z. (2021). The views of preservice teachers about distance education teaching practice -II lessons in COVID-19 pandemic. 1st International Eurasian Conferences on Educational and Social Studies. (Eds. Tamer Kutluca and Mehmet Necati Cizrelioğluları). Full Text Book. p.477-489.
40. Yildiz, S., Kilic, G.N. & Acar, I.H. (2022). Early childhood education during the COVID-19 outbreak: the perceived changing roles of preschool administrators, teachers, and parents. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01339-w.
41. Yolcu, H. H. (2020). Preservice elementary teachers’ distance education experiences at the time of coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic. Journal of Open Education Practices and Research, 6(4), 237-250. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/auad/issue/57638/788890.
42. Yurdakal İ. H., & Susar Kırmızı F., (2021). Views of Teacher Candidates Views about Emergency Distance Education During the COVID-19 Outbreak. Journal of Higher Education and Science, 11(2), 290-302. https://doi.org/10.5961/jhes.2021.449.