Abstract:

The goal of this article is to present the results from a qualitative study of teacher training during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the academic year 2020/21 in Slovakia.

In addition to learning about educational theories and history of education, primary teacher training mainly includes methodologies of teaching individual school subjects, including teaching foreign languages, and, of course, practice in schools. Through:
a) questionnaires,
b) observation of university teacher training lessons, and
c) students’ feedback, we tried to look as objectively as possible both in the ways of teaching these courses at universities during the COVID-19 pandemic lock-down, and in the experiencing and thinking of future teachers about their online study and preparation for teaching.

We qualitatively analyzed the data obtained by this triangulation of research methods, categorized them and summarized them into clear evaluation conclusions. They reveal various negative effects of online teacher training on the prospective teachers (especially insufficient preparation for contact with pupils and parents, lack of practical training for administrative tasks and the process creating school climate, insufficiently developed practical teaching skills how to respond to various specific situations in the classroom, etc.). On the other hand, the respondents – pre-service teachers - also expressed the unique positives of online study and learning that they had never realized before. In addition to massive development of their ICT skills, they significantly developed their creativity, became more familiar with the different abilities and talents of their classmates, learnt to appreciate their colleagues and teachers’ contributions and cooperation, as well as had more room for thoughtful activities and the development of their own higher cognitive and reflective skills.

Keywords:

Teacher training, COVID-19 pandemic, lock-down, qualitative study.