From online learning to in-person teaching internship: Lived experiences of pre-service education students

Teaching internship improves teaching abilities and prepares pre-service teachers for the challenges of the profession. This descriptive phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of twelve education teaching interns who completed online training before working in-person at public elementary and secondary schools. This study was conducted at a local college in Cebu, Philippines. The informants have completed the 360-hour internship program at the cooperating school where they were assigned for the internship. To analyze the data, the seven steps of Colaizzi's method were used. After intensive analysis of the data, four themes emerged from this study: emotional and pedagogical challenges, support mechanisms, adaptive teaching, and personal and academic growth. The teaching internship program presents challenges and opportunities for teaching interns that contribute to their personal and professional growth, thereby facilitating adaptive teaching strategies that promote student engagement and learning.