[Face-to-face vs. online teaching in the COVID-19 pandemic: Differential development of burnout and self-efficacy in teacher training?]

In recent months, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have had to rapidly move teacher training programs onto online platforms. In order to be able to develop these online formats in an evidence-based way, it is vital to have access to empirical data on the development of professional competencies in student teachers. Key to this is understanding the differences between classroom and online formats in teaching. In the present study, we therefore investigate the extent to which self-efficacy expectations and experiences of stress (burnout) in student teachers develop differently in practice-based face-to-face semesters in schools as compared to the equivalent online semester under the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. N  = 240 student teachers ( n  = 127 online semester; n  = 113 face-to-face semesters) took part in the longitudinal questionnaire study with a quasi-experimental design. The results indicate a higher increase in self-efficacy expectations in face-to-face formats than in the online formats. There were no group differences with regard to experiences of stress. We discuss the implications of these findings for the further development in teacher training.