Presented By: Morgan Vincent, Pennsylvania State University
Co-Authors: Daniel Foster, Pennsylvania State University

The pathway from student to teacher can be challenging, particularly for graduate students with limited or no previous experience or professional development opportunity in becoming an educator. This study explores the influence of a graduate level course on teaching and learning in agricultural sciences on the development of teacher identity in aspirational future faculty members from multiple agricultural disciplines. This elective course with a participating cohort of 19 students from multiple disciplines with diverse lived and education experiences provides a unique lens to explore the intersection of content knowledge, pedagogical strategies, and the development of an authentic teaching identity. Through a multipoint data collection process integrated into class instruction including surveys, identity mini-lessons, and identity exploration tasks, this study aimed to describe the ways graduate students perceive and develop their teaching identities. The goal of the study was not to shape graduate student identities in a predetermined manner, but rather to encourage students to engage in a profound reflection on their identity as educators. This approach enabled learners to explore aspects of their teaching identity that may have remained undiscovered, fortify areas in need of development, and further cultivate their existing strengths. The key dimensions explored include self-image, motivation, digital, cultural, and emotional identity. Results indicated shifts in graduate students' teaching identities, indicating that the course not only encouraged innovation and reflective thinking, but also nurtured community engagement and continued professional development in teaching. Beyond the context of this cohort of learners, the findings contribute insights to the broader discourse on how discipline-specific courses shape teaching identities in graduate education. Insights gained from this study serve as catalysts to initiate the creation of courses in disciplines where they are currently lacking, while simultaneously contributing to refining the effectiveness of existing discipline-related teaching courses, ultimately elevating the quality of future educators.