Title
African American Male Adolescents: Hardships, Interventions, and Components to Academic Success
Date of Award
11-1-2018
Document Type
Restricted Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Brianna Parsons, Ed.D.
Second Advisor
Dana Shelton, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Simyka Carlton, Ed.D.
Abstract
The purpose of this collective case study was to explore the experiences, unconventional interventions, and components that contributed to African American male adolescents’ academic success. In addition, this case study fills a critical gap in the research on the hardships African American males face in the world of academia. In particular, this study employs the theory of Social Emotional Learning and the Critical Race Theory to explore the perspectives of underprivileged African American male adolescents in the urban settings who managed to beat the odds and achieved positive academic outcomes. The researcher applied purposeful sampling strategy and recruited eight African American males who attended and graduated from an independent school district in Texas. The qualitative data collection techniques, such as questionnaires, interviews, and artifacts were utilized to examine the participants' reported views on the relationship between education and life success, internal conditions contributing to academic involvement, and external conditions predicting successful academic outcomes. The participants were positively affected by certain supportive elements within their community, school, and home. They reported being able to overcome negative influences by making use of internal and external components from parents, schools, success-based approaches to life, self-determination, and the ability to withstand hardships. The results of the study have practical implications for parents and caregivers, educators, community-based organizations, community leaders, and scholars, providing evidence to inform future interventions to facilitate resiliency in African American students.