Initial Teacher Education in England during the COVID-19 Pandemic: One University’s Experience - From Challenge to the New Normal

In late March 2020, university-based schools of education across England were forced to close and cease in-person teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Online teaching and learning was quickly adopted, and while it was initially considered a provisional solution, it became apparent that such methods would remain for at least another academic year. The transition from traditional face-to-face teaching and learning to online environments required considerable modification of content, resources and the development of digital competences. Expectedly, concerns have been raised about the quality of provision and student support. Since the start of the crisis, there has been an increased interest in blended learning approaches to teacher education and different frameworks have been created to manage the new reality. However, research on the practical implications, the challenges that teacher educators face, and the innovative solutions embraced is scarce. Set in the English teacher education system, this chapter provides a critical overview of both the initial and continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on initial teacher education in a large UK University.