Abstract:

The professional definition of the teacher's role in these days necessitated the change the ways of practice teacher education.This study suggests a model for teacher education practicum, based on heutagogy approach. The purpose of this model is to develop among the students the ability to learn, to enhance their emotional resilience, design active learning environments, and coping with teaching during periods of uncertainty. The new model emphasizes self-determined learning(heutagogy), based on a peer community and integrating technology. The model aims to transfer the responsibility for learning to the students, accompanied by experts, peers, and accessible online information sources. The students create meanings for learning and lead their own learning process through knowledge construction, and personal-professional skills and resilience.

This research examines how students and young teachers, whose experiential model was based on self-directed learning, coped with the uncertainty in teaching. The research employed a mixed-methods approach: quantitative and qualitative. The study population included 22 teaching interns and 31 teachers in their first years of teaching. The research tools included WhatsApp correspondences, students report, reflections, and questionnaires with open and closed questions.

The research findings revealed four main processes that helped the participants deal with uncertainty in both groups:Reliance on the digital environment as a significant and broad field for acquiring knowledge, allowing for flexibility and dynamism in teaching and learning;Participation in a peer community and community discourse as a central tool for resilience, support, and partnership in coping with uncertainty:Flexibility in teaching and learning, while relying on the online arena as a complementary, expanding and inseparable component of face-to-face learning which enables accessible communication and personal and group support.Personal and professional growth from facing difficulties and taking responsibility: meeting and facing challenges, alongside taking responsibility for learning. All of these promoted the teaching interns towards personal and professional development.

The research findings describe the contribution of the self-directed learning experience to coping with uncertainty in the early years of teaching. Thus, most of the teachers and teaching interns (74%) indicated that the new model prepared them well to very well for coping with periods of uncertainty; 29% felt the model prepared them partially, and 19% felt they were still unprepared. According to them, the training in the unique model contributed to developing their independence: "The model allows freedom of choice, increases confidence and self-belief. Additionally, their personal responsibility developed: "if I don't do it, nothing will happen". "I was responsible for myself"

Independence and personal responsibility facilitated their coping with uncertainty, as summarized by one of them: "I looked for someone to tell me what to do, but fortunately, I didn’t receive that, and I found my voice"

In conclusion, the research indicates that an experience based on self-directed learning, where learners are given independence, autonomy, choice & responsibility, leads to a feeling of being able to act and experience success in times of uncertainty.

In addition, the findings showed that the model promoted personal-professional in theself-determined learning profession

Keywords:

Heutagogy approach, self-determined learning.