A Case Study: Issues, Challenges and Coping Strategies of Student-Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Main Authors: Rosinah Mahmood, Eti Fairudz Zainudin, Md Rosli Bin Ismail, Abdul Aziz Bin Md. Nor, Hazidi Bin Abdul Hamid
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: LB2300 Higher Education; LC5800 Distance education
• Online Access: http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/1397/1/library-document-1397.pdf; http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/1397/
• Institution: Open University Malaysia

This study explores the issues, challenges and student-teachers’ coping strategies of teaching in a classroom setting during this challenging time of the Covid-19 pandemic in a new instructional setting of online classes that replace the face-to-face classroom interaction. Purposeful sampling was employed in studying 24 student-teachers’ reflective journals through content analysis. The findings showed that most student-teachers were positive and able to cope with the issues if enough time were given to them. Based on the themes emerging from the text analysis, class management and class organisation were not the main issue. However, other main issues such as Internet accessibility and full cooperation from the students were more challenging and the actual learning engagement for the receiving end appears to be compromised due to some teachers who were inadequately trained for online instruction. (Abstract by authors)