Abstract:

Background:
The Covid-19 that was declared in 2020 by WHO as a global pandemic led to the closure of institutions of higher education and schools. This situation also affected the normal running of School Based Studies (SBS).

Aim:
This research suggests alternative ways of conducting SBS when face to face interaction is impossible in case of any future pandemic. It analyses Namibian teacher education Teaching Practice (TP) policy with regard to how it might remain relevant in the post Covid-19 context without compromising its quality.

Method:
The study used a qualitative method in which a single case study approach was adopted. The data generation process was obtained through semi-structured interviews for the lecturers, focus group interviews and narratives for students to get insight and depth data. The sample of the study were 6 (third- and fourth years) students who were purposely selected from Education. Two lecturers from the above department also formed part of the sample.

Setting:
Participants were placed in 2 groups, upper and lower primary. Questions were provided in advance ahead of group discussions to give them confidence during discussions. The narrative approach also called ‘story telling’ was used by the researchers to give voice to the participants to elaborate on their own experiences. Thus, asking the respondents questions about their learning, teaching, and assessment experiences prior, during and after the pandemic added valuable data to the research.

Results:
It emerged that a TP model which accommodates supervision and assessment based on video recorded lessons is a good alternative to traditional face to face supervision. The findings also showed that there was a need to train students on the use of online software for teaching and support teachers on how to do the recordings in a proper way.

Conclusion:
There were challenges associated with the way TP were done during Covid 19. These include the unavailability of learners in schools during lockdown and the specific challenges of recording lessons without proper gadgets. However, online supervision can be done when it is well prepared.

Keywords:

COVID-19 pandemic, new-normal era, teacher education, teaching practice, Namibia.