Collaborative learning is a critical element of teacher education, essential for fostering active participation of students in their learning and engagement in professional communities (Khasawneh, 2023; Lehtinen et al., 2023; Qureshi et al., 2023). Collaborative learning enhances motivation and engagement in pre-service teachers, fostering knowledge and skill development (Chan et al., 2024; Hunuk & MacPhail, 2023; Qureshi et al., 2023). However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused an abrupt shift to online education, requiring teacher education programs to rapidly adopt digital platforms and tools (Pathiranage & Karunaratne, 2023). This shift has reshaped pedagogical practices and underscored the evolving role of technology in teacher education (Struthers et al., 2022).

Studies (e.g., Carrillo & Flores, 2020; Ferdig et al., 2020) emphasize the significance of technology, instructor strategies, and tools like peer feedback and formative assessment in fostering community and engagement among pre-service teachers. Pinto-Santos et al. (2022) highlight the growing emphasis on Teacher Digital Competence (TDC), while García Ruiz et al. (2023) point to gaps in digital teaching competencies, calling for standardized assessments and targeted training. While systematic reviews have explored topics like digital literacy (Pathiranage, 2023) and computational thinking (Dong, 2024; Ramos, 2020), few have specifically addressed collaborative teaching and learning between teacher educators and pre-service teachers in online settings.

To address this gap, this study systematically reviews research on the collaboration of teacher educators and pre-service teachers in online teaching settings after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. The review explores key experiences, outcomes, and digital tools used in these contexts to inform teacher education programs and better equip current and future educators for flexible and digital teaching. It addresses the following research question:

“How has online teaching influenced the collaboration and interaction between pre-service teachers and their teacher educators following the COVID-19 pandemic?”

This study aims to provide insights for enhancing teacher education programs by supporting pre-service teachers and teacher educators in effectively using digital tools and fostering collaboration in their teaching practices.

To address our research question, we adopted a systematic review methodology combined with a qualitative thematic synthesis. The systematic review process adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA; Moher et al., 2009) guidelines. In conducting the review, we followed the structured steps outlined by van Wesel et al. (2015): (a) literature search, (b) study identification, (c) data extraction/study coding, (d) study quality appraisal, and (e) thematic analysis. This multi-step process ensures that the findings are both comprehensive and meaningful, uncovering deeper insights into the collaborative teaching and learning between teacher educators and pre-service teachers in online settings. To ensure a rigorous approach, a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to guide the selection of studies. Eligible studies met the following criteria: a) focused on collaboration and interaction or relationships between teacher educators and pre-service teachers in the context of online teaching; b) included a target sample comprising teacher educators and pre-service teachers, c) presented empirical primary research employing qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods designs, d) were written in English, e) published in peer-reviewed journals, and f) addressed the timeline following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 onwards). A comprehensive literature search was conducted across three major academic databases: ERIC, Web of Science, and SCOPUS. These databases were selected due to their extensive coverage of educational research and high-quality peer-reviewed publications. The identified studies underwent a two-stage screening process to determine their eligibility. In the first stage, the titles and abstracts of all retrieved studies were independently reviewed by two authors using a double-screening approach. In the second stage, the full texts of potentially eligible studies were reviewed to confirm their inclusion. Disagreements were reconciled through discussions. This dual-stage screening process was conducted using the EPPI-Reviewer systematic review software (http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/), which facilitated collaboration and transparency.

Through a comprehensive literature search of peer-reviewed articles in three databases, 1067 studies were identified and after the removal of duplicates, 653 studies were screened independently by the first and second authors. After the two-stage abstract and full-text screening, 51 studies were selected as eligible in line with the a priori defined inclusion criteria. Currently, we are in the detailed data extraction phase for the eligible studies. This involves systematically collecting information about key characteristics of each study, including the country of origin, research design, data collection methods, participant demographics, and other relevant contextual factors. For the data synthesis, we will employ a qualitative thematic synthesis approach, following established methodologies (e.g., Bryman, 2016; Malterud, 2019). This entails (1) careful reading and coding of each study (2) identifying descriptive themes and then (3) developing analytical themes by further abstracting the descriptive themes. Study quality will be assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT; Hong et al., 2018). By following this structured and systematic approach, we aim to generate insights that contribute to understanding the collaborative learning experiences of pre-service teachers and teacher educators in online settings post-COVID-19. The descriptive data will provide a foundational overview of the research landscape, while the synthesis will help to uncover deeper patterns and themes relevant to collaborative learning in online teacher education, as well as implications across the studies.

Carrillo, C., & Flores, M. A. (2020). COVID-19 and teacher education: a literature review of online teaching and learning practices. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4), 466-487. Malterud, K. (2019). Qualitative metasynthesis: A research method for medicine and health sciences. Routledge. Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & Group, P. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097 Pathiranage, A., & Karunaratne, T. (2023). Teachers’ Agency in Technology for Education in Pre-and Post-COVID-19 Periods: A Systematic Literature Review. Education Sciences, 13(9), 917. Pinto-Santos, A. R., Pérez Garcias, A., & Darder Mesquida, A. (2022). Development of Teaching Digital Competence in Initial Teacher Training: A Systematic Review. World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, 14(1), 1-15. Struthers, d. R., Allsop, Y., Kalelioğlu, F., & Rzyankina,