Date of Graduation
8-2013
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Educational Administration (EdD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Curriculum and Instruction
Advisor/Mentor
Holt, Carleton R.
Committee Member
Johnson Carter, Charlene M.
Second Committee Member
Lo, Wen-Juo
Keywords
Social sciences; Eduaction; African-American; Critical race theory (CRT); Men; Recruitment; Rural education; Teacher shortage
Abstract
African American male teachers represent a disproportionately low number of educators in the American public school system. This lack of representation has implications for understanding, interacting with and educating the growing population of students of African descent in public schools. In addition, all students benefit from experiencing African American males in classrooms for cultural and educational reasons. For these reasons, recruiting and retaining African American males for careers in education is imperative.
This dissertation investigated the reasons African American males do not select careers in education given the history of this career and its prominence for people of African descent. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework, this phenomenological study addressed barriers that African American men may face in pursuing a career in education. Six African American male educators (elementary, middle and high school levels) from three school districts in rural Arkansas were interviewed to ascertain their views on why African American males were not pursuing degrees and careers in education. A qualitative analysis of participant interviews explored economic, academic, Social and cultural factors affecting black males in deciding to enter the teaching profession. Specifically, African American males described a lack of positive African American male role models, financial hardship as a deterrent to college enrollment, and expectation of inadequate professional salary. The study focused on five emergent themes that elucidate a more complete understanding of barriers faced by African American male educators: (1) Stereotypes of African American males; (2) Motivations to teach; (3) Barriers faced by African American men in becoming teachers; (4) Specific problems encountered in the classroom; and (5) Encouraging other African American men to teach.
Keywords: Critical Race Theory, African American male educators, recruitment, teacher shortage
Citation
Lewis, S. T. (2013). Recruitment and Retention of Kindergarten through Grade 12 African American Male Educators in Rural Environments. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/896
Included in
African American Studies Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons, Secondary Education and Teaching Commons