EFL PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF ONLINE TEACHING-PRACTICUM DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Despite the importance of teaching practicum in teacher education programs, the outbreak of COVID-19 promotes distance learning which led to online teachingpracticum. This study was intended to investigate EFL preservice teachers' perceptions of the implementation of the practicum and the improvement they perceived during the time period. In this study, a survey design utilizing questionnaire and follow-up interview as the instruments was used. The findings indicated several challenges, but the main problems faced by the majority of pre-service teachers were the limited orientation of the practicum, classroom management, and assessment. The challenges occurred were also related to the lack of supporting facilities and internet. Despite the challenges, this study also found that pre-service teachers still perceived improvement in teaching skills, knowledge, methods, new ideas, and interest in teaching. Their perceptions of online teaching practicum also contributed to their views on whether online teaching practicum has prepared them well to be good English teachers or not.