Using Students’ Chosen Gender Pronouns in School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE): An Exploratory, Longitudinal Study of Preservice Teachers’ Perceived Knowledge and Using Students’ Chosen Gender Pronouns in School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE):
Keywords:
LGBTQ+ Adolescents, Teacher Behaviors, Teacher Inclusive Language, School-Based Agricultural Education, Gender Pronouns, Preservice Teachers, Longitudinal StudyAbstract
The growing diversity of American society requires that U.S. teachers be prepared to effectively teach students from a variety of backgrounds. However, many teachers are ill-prepared by teacher preparation programs to instruct and mentor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth. Using students’ chosen pronouns is a way to show respect for an individual’s identity and make gender minority youth feel welcome and included. This study spanned three consecutive courses in a School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teacher preparation program. Its purpose was to explore the attitudes of preservice teachers toward pronouns during their teacher preparation program, emphasizing the importance of creating more inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ students. Findings revealed the participants’ views over multiple observations. Although they somewhat agreed on the importance of gender pronoun knowledge, a decline was noted after their student teaching experiences. The findings suggest a need for improved teacher preparation efforts, stressing the role of curriculum and experiences to foster understanding. Recommendations include enhancing teacher preparation programs with content on pronouns and increasing awareness of the benefits of inclusivity that could serve all stakeholders. Further research should explore the long-term impact of teacher preparation on SBAE teachers and the influence of cooperating teachers’ attitudes regarding students’ chosen pronouns.
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