Zooming the Experiences of Elementary Pre-Service Teachers on Receiving Feedback from their Online Teaching Practicum: A Qualitative Inquiry

This qualitative-existential phenomenological inquiry focuses on exploring and describing the experiences, coping mechanisms, and insights of elementary pre-service teachers in receiving feedback from cooperating teachers on their online teaching practicum. The participants were fourteen (14) elementary pre-service teachers from three (3) public schools in Davao de Oro who were selected through purposive sampling. The data were collected through in-depth virtual interviews and focus group discussions. From the participants' experiences, six (6) relevant themes emerged: (1) avenue for learning; (2) fulfillment in teaching; (3) internet connection; (4) in aligning lesson plan activities; (5) struggles in maintaining students' engagement; and (6) motivation for improvement. Moreover, eight (8) relevant themes emerged for the participants' coping mechanisms: (1) optimism; (2) family as motivation; (3) acceptance; (4) patience and humility; (5) passion in teaching; (6) feedback as motivation; (7) self-directed learning; and (8) diverse strategies for students' needs. Furthermore, six (6) relevant themes emerged for the participants' insights: (1) apply the feedback; (2) make feedback as inspiration; (3) accept one's weaknesses; (4) be open-minded; (5) trust yourself; and (6) be optimistic. The results of this study deemed significant to elementary pre-service teachers that receiving feedback is vital in honing their pedagogical and technological skills in their online teaching practicum. Thus, it paves cognizance and opportunity to develop an efficient and effective intervention to improve teaching practices in experiential courses, especially the e-practicum, in attaining quality education and producing globally competitive 21st-century elementary educators.