Challenges of initial training in times of pandemic: social education internship experience

This article addresses the challenges of initial formation in times of pandemics, presenting conclusions resulting from a study on the experience of curricular internship in the degree course in Social Education. In an international context marked by an unprecedented crisis and its human and social consequences, new challenges have arisen for all educators and trainers, especially for those who work in the so-called “front line”, with vulnerable people and communities, as is the case of social educators. For that matter, the study aimed to identify and analyze the challenges, difficulties and learning experiences experienced by final-year Social Education students during their internship period (2019–20), in a higher education institution, located in northern Portugal. The data collected and analyzed highlight traits that are traditionally recognized as structuring the identity profile of social educators while suggesting the need to consolidate and rethink the initial training paradigm, with a focus on the development of complex thinking skills and practical wisdom.