The mechanism of how physical education teacher education (PETE) students learn to teach physical education (PE) has been considered as a missing link in a comprehensive curriculum of PETE research. Previous studies found that the PETE students’ acculturation phase has a big impact on the students’ beliefs towards teaching PE as it is referred to as Occupational Socialization Theory (OST). The purpose of this study was to explore how PETE students learn to teach PE based on their experiences being taught PE and coached in a sport and their reflections on their emerging practices whilst taking a course EPHE 452 – Strategies for teaching games, a culminating course in their physical and health education teachable area. The study used two qualitative research methods, autoethnography and participant observation ethnography, within a case study design methodology. Data collection included the case studies’ interviews of three PETE students and the EPHE 452 course observation throughout COVID-19 pandemic in Spring semester in 2021. The findings showed that PETE students carried beliefs from their acculturation phase to their professional phase, while the teacher education program has a positive impact on the PETE students’ beliefs towards teaching PE. Four organizing course themes with sub-themes emerged; insights on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the course becoming a mediating theme. Several effective methods were used to develop PETE students’ abilities to teach PE, such as the online resources, group discussions, the practicum experience and the reading of articles. The COVID-19 pandemic created opportunities and challenges among PETE students who took EPHE 452 course in Spring Semester in 2021 that have led to a rethinking and redevelopment of the EPHE 452 course. / Graduate