A Self-Study on the Challenges a University Supervisor Faced in Online Teaching Practicum and How She Met Them

Abstract

This self-study explores a university supervisor's experiences of online teaching practicum to seek answers to the questions of what challenges she faced in online teaching practicum and what initiatives she undertook to respond to them. The data collected from the reflective journal she kept during online teaching practicum was subjected to thematic analysis. The findings revealed that she faced the challenges of avoiding communication breakdown between the mentor teachers and student teachers, the pressing need for strengthening student teachers' motivation, and offering guidance to student teachers as to teaching enjoyable and effective online lessons. The findings also revealed that she conducted continuous negotiations with both the mentor teachers and student teachers to rise to the challenges she faced, which she deemed to have a greater prominence in online teaching practicum in comparison with that in the teaching practicum carried out face-to-face.