Contributions and Challenges of the Supervised Curriculum Internship for the Teacher Training of Chemistry Licensees, in time of a Pandemic

Abstract

The Supervised Curricular Internship (SCI) in teacher education programs is a legal requirement and a fundamental component of teacher training, as it enables future teachers to become familiar with and engage in professional practice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was still ongoing in 2021, the SCI had to be reorganized and was carried out through an extension project developed by the Internship Coordination of the Chemistry Teacher Education Program, aiming to provide free online educational materials for students preparing for Brazil's National High School Examination (ENEM). In this context, the present study aimed to analyze the main challenges and contributions of the remotely conducted SCI for fourth-year undergraduate students in the Chemistry Teacher Education Program. This qualitative and descriptive study analyzed internship-related regulatory documents and applied a questionnaire containing 18 open- and closed-ended questions. The results showed that the remote SCI promoted the development of skills related to the use of digital resources, the production of educational materials, and the integration of chemical and pedagogical knowledge, thereby contributing to teaching praxis. The main challenges identified were limited proficiency in digital tools and the lack of face-to-face interaction with basic education students. It is concluded that, despite the difficulties encountered, the remote SCI contributed to the integration of chemical, pedagogical, and technological knowledge in the teacher education process.

Keywords: Supervised Internship, Teacher Training, COVID-19.