Internship during pandemic: some stories to tell

Abstract

Covid-19 pandemic results to massive disruption on educational activity of which the entire education systems from elementary to higher education had completely transform activities and engaged online teaching-learning scenario. This study is conducted to identify the experiences of criminal justice students of University of Mindanao Tagum College on their internship program during pandemic. There were fourteen identified participants. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach supported by a set of interview questionnaires as the main gathering data tool. Interview questionnaire was used to generate detailed descriptions of the phenomenon. Data analysis illuminated eleven essential themes across participants in: (1) experienced an inability in executing the command, (2) missed the fun in learning, (3) deterred performance, (4) compromised learning due to unstable connectivity, (5) stay focused on the goal, (6) condition the mind over uncertainties, (7) stay calm, (8) extend the patience, (9) built integrity, (10) continue the life started and (11) Uphold persistent. In times of pandemic, internship of the Criminology students in University of Mindanao Tagum College is indeed challenging and marks the student’s difficulty in adapting a new normal learning mode of education. Thus, it is deemed important to evaluate the practiced of internship environment of the criminology students to closely monitor their growth and development.