Degree Date

9-2020

Document Type

Dissertation - Public Access

Degree Name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Academic Discipline

Curriculum, Advocacy, and Policy

First Advisor

Dr. Dawn Coffin

Second Advisor

Dr. Carla Sparks

Third Advisor

Dr. Christie McMullen

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to allow students to make meaning of and understand their positionality within an academic setting while providing teachers and instructional staff with insight into personal experiences of African American middle school male students within the context of eligibility. Student voice was the primary form of description for this research. Each individual had a different perspective based on class, culture, age, religion, and environment, among other factors. The individual differences impacted the students’ and my own construction of meaning. The paper is organized as follows: (a) Chapter One: Introduction; (b) Chapter Two: Review of the Literature; (c) Chapter Three: Methodology; (d) Chapter Four: Results; and (e) Chapter Five: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations. The phenomenological method was utilized in order to conduct interviews and observations of the students within a school setting.

Comments

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION................................................................................. 1 Problem Background .......................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................... 4 Research Questions............................................................................................................. 6 Definition of Terms............................................................................................................. 7 Significance of the Study.................................................................................................... 8 Limitations of the Study...................................................................................................... 9 Delimitations of the Study ................................................................................................ 10 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.................................................... 11 Problem............................................................................................................................. 11 Theoretical Framework..................................................................................................... 14 Critical Race Theory.................................................................................................. 14 Historical Overview of African American Males and Education.............................. 18 Impact of Culturally Responsive Teaching on African American Males ................. 19 Teaching Diverse Populations................................................................................... 22 Academic Attitudes of African American Students.................................................. 24 Disenfranchised Populations ..................................................................................... 27 Motivation in African American Male Students ....................................................... 29 Student Voices in Literature ............................................................................................. 31 Student Identity.......................................................................................................... 33 Summary........................................................................................................................... 36 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 37 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 37 Research Questions........................................................................................................... 37 Research Design................................................................................................................ 38 Phenomenological Research ............................................................................................. 39 Narrative and Phenomenology as a Method of Understanding Lived Experiences ......... 41 Subjects and Selection ...................................................................................................... 41 Instrumentation ................................................................................................................. 44 Process .............................................................................................................................. 45 Informed Consent and Confidentiality ...................................................................... 45 Procedures for Data Collection.................................................................................. 45 Participant Interview Overview................................................................................. 46 Getting to Know You – First Round of Individual Interviews.................................. 47 What Do I See? – First Round of Observations ........................................................ 48 What are Your Thoughts? – Second Round of Interviews........................................ 49 Looking Glass – Second Round of Classroom Observations.................................... 49 It’s Like Looking In a Mirror – Third Individual Interview...................................... 49 vi Methodological Assumptions........................................................................................... 50 Limitations........................................................................................................................ 51 Delimitations..................................................................................................................... 51 Data Processing and Analysis........................................................................................... 52 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS ......................................................................................... 57 Student Findings............................................................................................................... 60 Theme 1: Teachers Make Assumptions..................................................................... 60 Theme 2: There’s More Than One Way To Do Things............................................ 62 Theme 3: We Are Not Just Robots, We Are Real People ......................................... 63 Theme 4: They Don’t Get to Know Me, So I Don’t Know Them ............................ 65 Theme 5: Validation .................................................................................................. 66 Classroom Observations ................................................................................................... 68 Critical Race Theory......................................................................................................... 69 Culturally Responsive Teaching within Context of Observations.................................... 71 Summary........................................................................................................................... 72 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS .. 75 Discussion and Limitations............................................................................................... 75 Conclusions....................................................................................................................... 77 Recommendations............................................................................................................. 78 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 80 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 88 Appendix A. Student Interview Questions ....................................................................... 89

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