Abstract
This study was intended to describe role establishment, leadership and drive and commitment in Agricultural Education (AGED) student teams. The study adopted a qualitative research inquiry of phenomenological design aided by semi-structured interviews with a guidebook and follow up questioning. Data were collected from six undergraduate AGED students who were team members of six groups in a leadership class at Texas Tech University. The purposive sample included three males and three females. Open and axial coding methods were used to categorize the transcribed interview responses. Peer and expert review were used to ensure credibility and confirmability. The results suggest the dynamics of the project teams were informal and as such the roles were informal. Although the groups seemed to lack clear structures, four roles were evident, namely the project manager, secretary, coordinator and team followers. Role assignment process was founded on prior relationships since the members of the teams knew each other's abilities and weaknesses. Gender had no influence on role assignment process among the student teams and they were not gender-balanced. The findings suggest that the teams were characterized by two forms of leadership: benevolent dictatorship and reluctant leader. The study concluded that project teams were composed of students who had a unique identity, behavioral style, and motivation. They were informal and lacked clear structures and positions other than the team leaders or coordinators. The role establishment process was spontaneous and not premeditated. In order to create a conducive cooperative environment among the team members, team roles need to be formally established to allow all the team members to participate adequately in team activities as there will be clear roles and responsibilities.