EXPLORING THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF FEMALE LEADERS WITHIN THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY: A Panel Discussion

Panel discussions as a pedagogical tool allow students to engage with topics of leadership and deliver conceptual understanding in leadership education. Although undergraduate leadership development students have reported a preference for the instructional method, the use of panel discussions as a teaching practice has not been prevalent among leadership educators. For this exploratory, non-experimental study, a retrospective pre- post test evaluation questionnaire was utilized to capture changes in student perceptions related to key topics following a Women in Agricultural Leadership panel discussion. Perceptions and awareness toward women agricultural leaders were shown to increase significantly after participation in the panel discussion, thereby generating further opportunities for positive and insightful discussion.