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Opinion Article

Divulging the Emerging Technology for Pre-service Teachers’
Field Experience during COVID-19

Paul Albert. A & J. Mary Jennifer 2
1
1 Assistant Professor, Immaculate College of Education for Women, Puducherry,
Email:albertphd1986@gmail.com
2 Assistant Professor of English, Bharathidasan Government College for Women,
Puducherry

COVID-19 is an infectious disease teaching practices in schools. Currently,
caused by severe acute respiratory nationwide lockdown is in force with
syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) some relaxation, the schools and
that has been declared as a pandemic colleges still remain closed. Besides, the
as the results of the clinical analysis provision of NCTE guidelines mentioning
showed person-person transmission (Li that internship and field engagement
et al., 2020; Paules et al., 2020; Wang, shall be followed as per the direction
and Cheng, et al., 2020). The outbreak of of the affiliating universities under
coronavirus resulted in sudden closure the prevailing situation. Hence, Tamil
of all types of educational institutions Nadu Teachers Education University,
including kindergartens, schools, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry University,
colleges and centers of higher education Puducherry have announced to
are forced to shut down their academic commence online classes from 1st week
activities. The lockdown has had a of August 2020 to its affiliating colleges
negative impact not only on the schools of education. But, no instruction was
but also on the higher educational found about the internship of second-
institutions, especially, among the year student teachers. In such a
colleges of teacher education in India. situation, it is of dispute that they could
resume the program with internship
In the curriculum of teacher education,
pre-service training practices have activities.
been incorporated to provide authentic The colleges of education in Tamil
experiences for teaching in classrooms. Nadu and Puducherry region shifted
According to the new regulations the teaching mode from traditional
of National Council for Teacher classrooms into online learning platforms
Education (NCTE, A statutory body in which the internship programs
of the Government of India), student have been excluded. Consequently,
teachers should undergo the training teacher educators had concerns about
for four weeks during the first year practical experiences on teaching, in
and for sixteen weeks in the second order to prepare the student-teachers’
year. Usually, the practicum begins in to be trained and qualified. Moreover,
August and ends in November. Due educationists suggest that gaining
to the pandemic situation, student teaching experience through online
teachers are unable to undertake mode among the peers and teachers

Indian Journal of Educational Technology 301
Volume 3, Issue 2, July 2021