Known Face, New Role: A Qualitative Case Study of a Homegrown Rural Teacher

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 11:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: From Preparation to Leadership: Supporting Rural Teachers Through Identity, Networks, and Community

Abstract

This qualitative case study explores how an early-career homegrown teacher drew on community cultural wealth to navigate his transition from student to professional educator in a Midwestern rural school. Using Rural Cultural Wealth (RCW) as a conceptual lens, we analyze two years of interviews and reflective journals to understand how place-based assets shaped his teaching identity and practice. Findings highlight how relational capital, local knowledge, and civic embeddedness supported the teacher’s professional growth, mitigated isolation, and fostered community engagement. This study affirms rurality as an asset in teacher development and underscores the importance of place in teacher preparation and retention.

Authors

• Caiden Webb, University of Missouri

• Laura Zangori, University of Missouri

• Laura Cole, Colorado State University