Online practicum and teacher efficacy: correlation, challenges, and lessons arising from Covid-19 pandemic

This study examined the influence of teaching practicum on preservice teachers’ sense of self-efficacy during the covid-19 pandemic. In particular, the study sort to establish if both online and school-based teaching practicums have the same influence on the preservice teachers self-efficacy. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 40 preservice teachers, 2 of them were also interviewed for further insight into the answers provided. It was found that the preservice teachers’ sense of self-efficacy was at best “average” during the pandemic time, with online-based practicum teachers showing a slightly stronger self-efficacy overall. However, school-based practicum teachers showed higher self-efficacy in classroom management and student engagement. The slight differences in efficacy levels were found not to be statistically significant to cause a difference in opinion between online teaching practicum and school-based teaching practicum. Possible reasons for general low levels of self-efficacy were discussed, and causes for slightly higher efficacy for online-based practicum also suggested.