”Sometimes you got to do what you got to do”: pre-service English language teachers’ experiences of online microteaching practices during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT Microteaching, one of the teacher training techniques in-use to help pre-service teachers gain knowledge and experience with teaching, is conventionally provided on-campus. However, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a switch to remote education, thereby moving teacher training practices to online platforms. This novel situation indicated a need to understand pre-service English language teachers’ experiences of their microteaching practices conducted on online platforms. To this end, this study adopted a qualitative research design. Over a semester, 62 pre-service English language teachers provided written reflective papers after they delivered their microteaching online. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that the participants attributed positive qualities to their online microteaching; however, the challenges they met outnumbered these qualities. The most frequently stated qualities involved valuable experience with online teaching, improved technology use and knowledge, and reduced anxiety. On the other hand, the main drawbacks were poor internet connection, low engagement in classes, and limited interaction. The significance of these findings lies in the fact that several courses of action are available to improve the effectiveness of the praxis and highlight its strong sides. Therefore, the findings were discussed in line with the relevant literature, and recommendations were offered for both pre-service teachers and teacher educators.