Reducing COVID-19-Induced Educational Slumps—Training Preservice Teachers to Be Children Coaches: An Evaluation of Effects in Elementary Schools.

The article focuses on the "CaBire – Coronabedingte Bildungseinbrüche reduzieren" (reducing COVID-19-induced educational slumps) teaching project developed at the University of Education Weingarten in Germany to prepare teacher education students for supporting pupils affected by psychological and learning challenges exacerbated by COVID-19 school closures. The project combines a preparatory workshop on socio-psychological coaching and mental health recognition with a semester-long practical phase where students support pupils individually, accompanied by university-led coaching seminars. Evaluation using mixed methods showed that teacher education students reported significant gains in professional, methodological, social, and personal competences, while their pupils demonstrated improvements in learning motivation, behavior, social behavior, and positive emotional experiences. Although promising as a model linking theory and practice to address pupil heterogeneity and mental health, the project's evaluation acknowledges limitations such as small sample sizes and lack of control groups, highlighting the need for further research and broader stakeholder involvement.