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1
Figueroa, Louis David. "Teachers' Perceptions of African American Middle School Males' Reading Performance." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6999.
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School administrators at a middle school in the northeastern United States lacked understanding regarding reading services and teaching strategies to improve African American middle school (AA MS) males' performance on standardized state reading assessments. English language arts (ELA) teachers' perspectives on and experiences of teaching reading to AA MS males at the target site were explored using Kolb's model of experiential learning. A qualitative intrinsic case study with an anonymous survey was used to collect data at the target site. Fifteen individuals who met inclusion criteria of being 6th- or 7th-grade ELA teachers at the target site were recruited using purposeful sampling. First-cycle data analysis with initial coding was followed by second-cycle analysis using axial coding. Through the process of iterative categorization, key themes emerged. Findings based on themes indicate that when teaching AA males, teachers need to develop a positive relationship, demonstrate an understanding of cultural responsiveness, show understanding and patience when issues or problems arise, develop agreement on clear expectations, and use relevant topics and a variety of resources. A project study was developed that led to recommendations to support ELA teachers instructing AA MS male students and to use targeted professional development to improve teachers' knowledge and skills. Adoption of the recommendations could improve teachers' knowledge, skills, and understanding, resulting in more effective reading instruction for AA males and better supports for their academic success.
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King, Lewis Gloria Denise. "Teachers' Expectations and Reading Achievement of African American Middle School Students." ScholarWorks, 2014. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/150.
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A local and national concern in education is the persistent achievement gap between African American and Caucasian middle school students. Despite numerous reforms, the gap continues to show African American middle school students performing lower in reading. The purpose of this mixed methods study, framed in the theoretical perspective of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, was to examine teachers' expectations and the relationship between those expectations and the educational outcomes of African American middle school children. Data were collected to identify pedagogical practices, examine teacher expectations, and determine the relationship between those expectations and student Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores. Nineteen middle school teachers volunteered to take the Regalla Adaptive Teachers' Expectation Survey, which quantified teachers' expectations for student achievement using items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (5 = strongly agree with high expectation statement). Pedagogy was examined through 12 classroom observations and archival data provided CRCT scores for 650 African American students. Based on survey results, the mean score for teacher expectations was 4.47 out of 5.00. Observations established that 8 out of 12 teachers were rated proficient in terms of instructional plans. Correlation analysis determined a significant and direct relationship between teachers' expectation scores and middle school students' scores on the CRCT (p < .05). The results highlight the importance of teacher expectations for student achievement. The implications for social change include using the findings at the local site to communicate to teachers the importance of having high expectations for all students to improve the achievement levels of all middle school students and close the achievement gap.
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Best, Bonnie Marie. "Teachers' Perceptions of African American Middle School Girls' Interest in Mathematics and Science." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2471.
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Research into African American female underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has become an area of interest due to the fact that a majority of African American middle school females do not possess the high levels of mathematics and science knowledge because of social and cultural barriers both inside and outside school that challenge their academic success. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore teachers' shared, lived experiences of teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school girls. Delgado and Stefancic's critical race theory, Pratt-Clarke's critical race feminism, and Baker-Miller's relational-cultural theory were used to guide this study. Research questions focused on the perceptions and experiences of teachers' lived experiences teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school females. Criterion, purposive, and maximum variation sampling techniques were used to recruit 10 teachers who have 3 or more years' experience teaching African American middle school girls. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were the primary data collection source. First cycle and second cycle coding methods were used to support the analysis of this study. Findings suggest that there is a connection between a positive student-teacher relationship and academic success. The results of this study contribute to positive social change by providing empirical evidence policymakers and teachers can use to improve the mathematics and science instruction and practices that are needed to meet the needs of African American middle school females and reduce the underrepresentation and underachievement of African American females in mathematics and science.
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Nzeocha, Emeka. "A qualitative case study on the perception of middle school stakeholders on the effectiveness and importance of character education in three middle schools in an inner city school district in Alabama." Birmingham, Ala. : University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009. https://www.mhsl.uab.edu/dt/2009p/nzeocha.pdf.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009.<br>Additional advisors: Aaron Kuntz, Aaron Moyana, Andrew McKnight, William Boyd Rogan. Description based on contents viewed June 5, 2009; title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 212-228).
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Wiley, Kim L. "No Child Left Behind and teacher morale among African-American teachers in low-performing middle schools." Diss., Mississippi State : Mississippi State University, 2008. http://library.msstate.edu/etd/show.asp?etd=etd-07152008-115710.
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Ray, Patricia. "Defining Defiance| African-American Middle School Students? Perspective on the Impact of Teachers? Disciplinary Referrals." Thesis, Loyola Marymount University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3723083.
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<p> The purpose of this study is to understand how African-American males enrolled in middle school in Los Angeles County experienced and understood the application of the California educational code regarding discipline. Disproportionate numbers of African-American students are being suspended and expelled from public schools. This overreliance on exclusionary punishment has led to the School-to-Prison Pipeline, and the statistics related to suspension rates from school mirror that of the criminal justice system. This study captures the voices of students who are consistently referred to the office by classroom teachers in order to understand how they perceive and articulate their experiences with the school disciplinary process and how those experiences impact their academic and personal lives. Findings indicate that participants want to do well in school. The participants described many of the behaviors that triggered an office referral as trivial, such as being tardy to class, talking, or not doing their work. When their infractions were more serious, students stated that they acted out because the teacher had been disrespected or antagonized them. More than anything, participants want teachers to listen to them and to respect them, and they want to be active participants in their learning. </p>
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Boyd, Frederick Douglas Sr. "Non-Verbal Behaviors of Effective Teachers of At-Risk African-American Male Middle School Students." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27396.
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Students in school districts throughout the United States are administered standardized tests in an effort to assess achievement. These annual "academic rites of passage" serve as measures of accountability to the citizenry of every locality served. Many at-risk African-American males score in the lower two quartiles on these tests. Remediation efforts have not significantly raised the achievement of these students. However, there are teachers who are effective with these students. They use both verbal and non-verbal behaviors that facilitate learning. This study was designed to answer the question: What non-verbal behaviors are used by effective teachers of at-risk African-American male middle school students?
Data were collected via teacher observations using the Non-verbal Behavior Teacher Observation Form, an instrument developed to record nonverbal behaviors of teachers. The instrument consists of thirteen behaviors that cover seven non-verbal domains. Four teachers were observed three times each for thirty minutes and two teachers were observed one time. The researcher selected a different at-risk male student each observation resulting in a total of fourteen teacher observations and their interactions with fourteen at-risk male students.
Descriptive statistics were used to identify most frequently and least frequently used non-verbal behaviors. When effective teachers in this study interacted with the at-risk African-American male middle school students, they frequently were in close proximity, changed their voice inflections, established eye contact, invaded students' territories (were within two feet), and gestured to students.
The results of this study may be used as a vehicle or catalyst for the implementation of a school or district-wide training program for teachers of at-risk African-American male students. These results may also be used for teacher preparation programs at the college or university level.<br>Ed. D.
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Scott, William Randolph. "Teachers' responsiveness to the learning needs of a select group of African American middle school students." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2009. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0024377.
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Williams, Twyla Jeanette. "Middle class African American mothers' perceptions of White teachers' interactions with their African American children in predominately White suburban junior high schools." [College Station, Tex. : Texas A&M University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-1093.
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Harden, Roderick Wayne Sr. "Black Male - White Teacher| The Voices of African American Males in a Suburban Middle School." Thesis, The George Washington University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10155658.
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<p> Because African American males are being educated in suburban environments where they are not performing as well as their White peers, this study sought to understand how these males make meaning of being educated with primarily White teachers in suburbia and to understand how they perceive their teachers' efficacy and expectations. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)</p>
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McGill, Robert James. "Teacher Perspectives Regarding the Pedagogical Practices Most Culturally Responsive to African American Middle School Students." UNF Digital Commons, 2018. https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/850.
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This dissertation examines teacher’s perspectives regarding the classroom strategies,
behaviors, and approaches they believed best support the development of African American students. Educator perceptions are valuable to understand because perceptions and attitudes undergird behavior and practices. This study focused on perceptions of teachers toward pedagogical strategies, approaches, and teacher behaviors that perceived to best support African American students because of the persisting achievement gap between African American students and their White, middle class counterparts.
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy was used as the theoretical framework for this study as it describes approaches to teaching students from historically marginalized groups in ways that are more relevant to their cultural strengths, assets, and knowledge-bases.
Q methodology was selected for this study because it was designed to examine human subjectivity using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Forty-two teachers sorted 36 statements, each representing a practice, strategy, or behavior identified by participants as being culturally relevant to African American students, based on their perceived effectiveness. These 42 Q sorts were then correlated. Principal component analysis and Varimax rotation were used to examine the relationships among the correlations and extract 4 factors, 1 of which was bipolar, or containing two different, but mirrored perspectives. The factor arrays of these 5 perspectives were then examined, described, and named: Responsive to Students Cultural Backgrounds, Responding through Honoring and Exploring Culture, Responding through Structure, Routines, and Direct Advocacy, Conducive and Inclusive Learning Environment, Non-responsive Culture Free Pedagogical Practices. Implications and recommendations for practice, theory, and policy were also discussed.
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Wicks, Joan Y. "Student, Parent, and Teacher Perceptions of School Racial Climate in a Charter Middle School in South Los Angeles| A Microcosm of Missed Opportunity." Thesis, Loyola Marymount University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10252070.
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<p> This qualitative case study explores student, parent, and teacher perceptions of school racial climate and its impact on students’ academic and personal lives at a charter middle school in South Los Angeles. The study also explores teacher handling of the impact of racial tensions at this school with a majority Latin@ student enrollment and a predominantly Black teaching staff. School climate refers to the perceived quality of interpersonal interactions among teachers, students, staff, and parents. A positive school climate is associated with increased academic achievement and decreased disciplinary problems. Conversely, schools wrought with interethnic conflict or a <i>poor</i> racial climate divert focus and resources away from student learning and toward chronic disciplinary problems and teacher attrition. This case study demonstrates how Black administrators handled displacement by a large immigrant Latin@ population by instituting a system of Black privilege to protect political and economic space. The massive immigration of Latin@s offered a critical opportunity for coalition building with Blacks. However, a competition-based framework emerged, rendering this case study a microcosm of missed opportunity in South Los Angeles and beyond.</p>
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Byrd-Wright, Angela Nicole. "How Culturally Responsive Leaders and Teachers Influence the Mathematics Performance of High School and Middle School African American Students in One Urban Virginia School Division." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/97061.
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Analysis of multiple data sources revealed a prevalent gap between high school and middle school African American students and their White counterparts in mathematics. Based on these data and a gap in the literature, further research was needed regarding how the mathematics performance of African American students is influenced by culturally responsive leadership and culturally responsive teaching. The purpose of this study was to determine if culturally responsive behaviors of high school and middle school principals influence the behaviors of mathematics teachers resulting in building conceptual understanding of their students; and, how teachers' culturally responsive actions impact the mathematics performance of African American students.
The research questions guiding this qualitative study were (1) To what extent, if any, do principals at the high school and middle school levels that exemplify culturally responsive leadership influence mathematics teachers' use of culturally responsive teaching that results in building conceptual understanding in mathematics? and, (2) To what extent, if any, do culturally responsive teaching practices impact the mathematics performance of African American students at the high school and middle levels? The results indicated that the purposive sample of high school and middle school principals (n = 7) exhibited critical consciousness (self-awareness) and interrelationships amongst teachers and students; communication and being present; and, data- driven decision-making. The purposive sample of high school and middle school mathematics teachers (n = 23) exhibited content knowledge that allowed for differentiated instruction
inclusive of building conceptual understanding through multiple mathematical representations; and, engaged their students in mathematical discourse requiring students to reason and justify their solutions. Thus, such actions created a familial-like atmosphere inherent in optimal learning environments for African American students. Students with culturally responsive teachers performed better on division-wide assessments, with the effect of reducing the achievement gap between African American and White students compared to teachers not self-identified as having high levels of cultural responsiveness with results statistically significant at the 0.01 level after conducting a two-proportions z-test.<br>Doctor of Education<br>The purpose of this study was to determine if culturally responsive behaviors of high school and middle school principals influence the behaviors of mathematics teachers resulting in building conceptual understanding of their students; and, how teachers' culturally responsive actions impact the mathematics performance of African American students. The synthesis of the literature review and the results of this study could provide information that would assist school leaders and teachers in not only understanding their respective roles impacting and influencing the mathematics performance of African American students at the high school and middle school levels, but also understanding the pedagogical, conceptual understanding, and leadership practices and factors that can lead to this improvement.
A qualitative study design was used in one urban Virginia school division encompassing a preliminary screening of high school and middle school principals and mathematics teachers; observations of high school and middle school principals and mathematics teachers; and, a culminating culturally responsive leadership practices survey. The researcher sought to examine (1) To what extent, if any, do principals at the high school and middle school levels that exemplify culturally responsive leadership influence mathematics teachers' use of culturally responsive teaching that results in building conceptual understanding in mathematics? and, (2) To what extent, if any, do culturally responsive teaching practices impact the mathematics performance of African American students at the high school and middle levels? Data from division-wide assessments demonstrated that the students of culturally responsive teachers performed better and with a reduced achievement gap between African American and White students compared to teachers not having self-identified with high levels of cultural responsiveness. Observations from the high school and middle school principals and mathematics teachers revealed specific behaviors and strategies used consistently across the sample. From the findings, implications for practices and recommendations for future studies were rendered.
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Lanier, Marilyn. "Investigating Strategies for Enhancing Achievement of Urban African American Students in Middle School Science Classrooms." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/37606.
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This dissertation interprets a qualitative study designed to investigate the pedagogical practices of experienced science teachers who, through their teaching practices, promote learning and achievement of urban African American middle school students between the ages 10-13 years. Based upon the theoretical frameworks of the theory of third space and culturally-responsive pedagogy, this study targeted the pedagogical practices that connected home-to-school experiences.
The study sample consisted of 17 students, 2 experienced science teachers, and 1 principal from the same urban middle school. Data collected over a six-month period include in-depth individual interviews, classroom observations, audio recordings, videotaping, and review of documentation. Interviews focused on the participants' experiences, views, and the role each played in learning and achievement. Classroom observations provided additional insights into the classroom setting, participants' actions, and participants' interactions with the teachers and other students. The student focus group emphasized the students' perspectives of their teacher and her teaching strategies. A whole-text analysis of the interview transcripts, observational field notes, video recording and documents generated three major categories: connection to students, classroom management, and instructional pedagogy. The following significant findings emerged from the data: (a) the beliefs and views of teachers affect their classroom practices; (b) when teachers build rapport with African American students, they are better able to create trust, increase the comfort level in their classroom, and motivate learning; (c) a teacher's use of
home-to-school connections motivates students' interest in learning while helping them to make connections to curriculum, (d) the type of classroom management practices a teacher uses can enhance effective content implementation, and (e) a teacher's varied instructional pedagogical practices can provide African American students the opportunity they need to demonstrate knowledge and achievement. Implications for middle school teachers, students, parents, administrators, and teacher educators are included. Suggestions for future research are also provided.
The results from this qualitative study strongly suggest that third space theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding the connections necessary for bridging a culturally-responsive disposition and a continuum between home and school experiences, which is critical in a science classroom populated by urban African American students.<br>Ph. D.
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Roan-Belle, Clarissa R. "EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY ON AFRICAN AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS’ MOTIVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_etds/13.
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Guided by the theoretical frameworks of Baumrind’s parenting style theory, interpersonal expectations, Self Determination Theory, and self-efficacy, this study examines factors that influence African American students’ GPA and motivation, specifically associations between parents’ and teachers’ control, warmth, and educational expectations and African American adolescents’ GPA, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation were examined. The moderating effects of neighborhood safety on the aforementioned associations were also assessed. Using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, this study found that parents’ warmth and expectations were positive predictors of all educational variables, while parents control was a negative predictor of GPA and intrinsic motivation. Teachers’ warmth was a positive predictor of GPA and intrinsic motivation, and teachers’ expectations were positive predictor of self-efficacy. Lastly, teachers’ control was a positive predictor of self-efficacy. Neighborhood safety did not moderate associations. Findings suggest that African American students’ academic development can be enhanced by interventions that target relational interactions.
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Stout, Jewell. "The Effects of Discipline with African-American Males at an Alternative Middle School| The Perceptions of Parents/Guardians, Teachers, Administrators, and Other Academic Stakeholders." Thesis, Northcentral University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10269036.
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<p> This qualitative single case study is designed to address the prevalent issues of disproportional disciplinary actions with African-American males. This study investigates whether culture intersects motives such as race and class privilege when perceptions lead the decision for exclusion and other disciplinary actions with African-American men in an alternative middle school. Numerous studies support the findings suggesting African-American males face discipline more often than any other group of students in schools. Consequently, these students receive alternative middle school placement as punishment and that may be the result of perceptions from other key stakeholders involved with metering out these disciplinary actions. To test this idea of unfair disciplinary actions this study uses qualitative single case design because the results may provide dialogue and opinions that otherwise would not surface. Qualitative research is well suited because it encompasses interviews and interview data. The targeted population consisted of African-American males, teachers, administrators, and other academic stakeholders at an alternative middle school in Little Rock, Arkansas. This research investigates the students' behavior and teachers' control beliefs as those factors correlate with perceptions of the diverse culture that defines African-American males. The investigation purposefully uses CRT because this theoretic framework has been proven to challenge, disclose, and change attitudes regarding race relationships in America. Using CRT as a framework, to review literature, provides a point of reference that links the history and matters of race relations to the present situations with African-American males at an alternative middle school.</p>
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Boznak, Barbara J. "White pre-service teachers' reflections on their experiences as tutors in an urban afterschool program a critical race theory analysis /." Muncie, Ind. : Ball State University, 2009. http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/770.
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Maring, Elisabeth Fost. "Fostering resilience among early adolescents exposed to community violence challenges, strategies, and support needs of middle school teachers in predominantly African American urban communities /." College Park, Md. : University of Maryland, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1903/3512.
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Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2006.<br>Thesis research directed by: Family Studies. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.
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Bowser, Jr Jimmy Lee. "The Relationship among Select School Variables and 8th Grade African American Male Academic Achievement." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2018. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1248414/.
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This study was designed to investigate the correlational relationship between four school elements listed on the Texas Academic Progress Report (TAPR) and the academic achievement of 8th grade African American male students. Data for this study was provided from the Texas Education Agency's (TEA) Office for Public Information Requests. The study included four independent variables: percent of socioeconomically disadvantaged students, average years of teachers' experience, attendance rate and average class size in mathematics. The dependent variable was the 8th grade African American males' performance on the mathematics STAAR exam. The study examined scores from the mathematics STAAR exam for the years 2012-2014. The sample population included 1,540 schools and 47,169 individual test results. The results of the correlational analysis indicate that none of the independent variables were correlated to each other, but each of the independent variables had a statistically significant correlation with the dependent variable at the p < .05 level. The study also sought to explore the variance in academic achievement that could be explained by the four independent variables when used as a model. The results of the simple multiple regression suggest that not only were the results statistically significant at the p < .01 level, but the model explained 32.4% of the variance in 8th grade African American males' performance on the STAAR mathematics exam in the years 2012-2014.
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Wicks, Joan Y. "Student, Parent, and Teacher Perceptions of School Racial Climate in a Charter Middle School in South Los Angeles: A Microcosm of Missed Opportunity." Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, 2015. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/455.
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This qualitative case study explores student, parent, and teacher perceptions of school racial climate and its impact on students’ academic and personal lives at a charter middle school in South Los Angeles. The study also explores teacher handling of the impact of racial tensions at this school with a majority Latin@ student enrollment and a predominantly Black teaching staff. School climate refers to the perceived quality of interpersonal interactions among teachers, students, staff, and parents. A positive school climate is associated with increased academic achievement and decreased disciplinary problems. Conversely, schools wrought with interethnic conflict or a poor racial climate divert focus and resources away from student learning and toward chronic disciplinary problems and teacher attrition. This case study demonstrates how Black administrators handled displacement by a large immigrant Latin@ population by instituting a system of Black privilege to protect political and economic space. The massive immigration of Latin@s offered a critical opportunity for coalition building with Blacks. However, a competition-based framework emerged, rendering this case study a microcosm of missed opportunity in South Los Angeles and beyond.
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Triplett-Stewart, Yolanda M. "Intertextuality, Multiliteracies, and a Double-Edged Sword: Urban Adolescent African American Males’ Perceptions of Enabling Texts, Pedagogies, and Contexts." The Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429719768.
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Rayford, Debra D. "A Phenomenological Case Study of Seventh-Grade African American Male Students at the Africentric School in Columbus, Ohio." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1334597826.
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Pennington, Yvette. "Cyberbullying Incidents Among African American Female Middle School Students." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3280.
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Recent research has shown an increase in cyber bullying acts against middle and high school students. The National Center of Education Statistics (2010) reported that cyberbullying incidents increased 73% between the years of 2007 and 2009. In 2011, 75% of cyberbullying victims were adolescents (National Center of Education Statistics, 2013). Using data collected from the Pew Research and American Life Project, the study examined the prevalence of cyber bullying acts against African American female adolescents compared to Caucasian male and female adolescents and African American male adolescents. Additionally, the study reported the cyber bullying incident that occurred most frequently as either directly using texting or indirectly using social media websites. Past research studies have shown a prevalence of cyber bullying acts against Caucasian females. The participants in this study were 737 adolescents 12-17 years old. The results suggested that a prevalence of cyber bullying acts against African American female students occurred at a significantly lower rate than Caucasian female and male students but a significantly higher rate than African American male students and Hispanic male and female students. Additionally, indirect cyberbullying incidents occurred significantly more frequently than direct cyberbullying incidents.
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Celico, Andrea. "A Study of Resiliency in African-American Middle School Boys." Cleveland State University / OhioLINK, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1229540936.
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McGowan-Robinson, Laura J. "African American Parental Engagement in a Public Middle School| Contributing Factors." Thesis, Loyola Marymount University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10155685.
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<p> Parental engagement with schools is often considered one of the major contributing factors to a child’s success in school. There is not, however, a definition of parental engagement that takes into account the social, historical, and cultural factors that shape a parent’s view of their own engagement. This qualitative case study examines how African American parents in a high poverty, urban, charter middle school, come to understand practices and beliefs at their child’s school, while building relationships with other parents and school staff. Through the lenses of critical race theory and cultural-historical activity theory, the researcher analyzes how the convergence of race, power, history, and culture frame perspectives of policy makers, those who work in schools, and parents. Through the voices of African American parents, in a socioeconomically disadvantaged school community, they define their own engagement.</p>
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Johnson, Ivy J. "Behavioral Impacts of Father Absence on Middle School African American Boys." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4144.
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Father absence is the experience of children who grow up in households without their biological father. The African American population experiences the highest level of father absence of all demographic groups in the United States. Research shows that father absence influences school behavior. There is a lack of literature evaluating the extent to which father absence affects children, particularly African American boys, at different stages of development. This quantitative study was used to evaluate how father absence affected school behavior of African American boys, ages 13-15, in the middle school setting, in Houston, TX. Guided by attachment theory, the research question for this study asked how father absence impacts the school behavior of African American boys between the ages of 13 and 15 from mother-only homes when compared to school behavior of African American boys from intact families. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine overall and types of externalizing behavior of 60 purposive sampled participants identified from the Child Behavior Checklist-Teacher Report Scale subscales. Results indicated that African American boys from father absent homes displayed an overall higher rate of externalizing behavior than same- aged peers from intact families on all 3 dependent variables (Overall, Rule-Breaking, and Aggressive Behavior). This study is an important contribution to the existing literature and enhances social change initiatives by bringing increased focus on school behavior, adolescent behavior, middle school practices, and behavior interventions. Specifically, the results of this study can be used by educational stakeholders to develop early intervention and prevention programs to address behaviors associated with the absent father experience.
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Tutwiler, Patrick Alexander. "Class in the Classroom: Perceptions and Beliefs of Middle Class African American Male Teachers Teaching Low-income African American Students." Thesis, Boston College, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/2583.
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Thesis advisor: Dennis Shirley<br>Trends in the racial make-up of students attending American schools in large districts showed significant growth in the number of Black and Latino students as far back as 1987. Further, more than half of the students who attend school in these districts were eligible for free or reduced lunch (Planty, 2008). In sum, urban schools are increasingly populated by low-income students of color. Shifts in the urban student population necessitate changes in the way in which teaching and learning are conceptualized. As the population of the nation's urban schools becomes increasingly Black and Hispanic, the need for a teaching force whose racial background matches the student body also increases (B. E. Cross, 2003; Dee, 2005; K. Howey, 1999; Ladson-Billings, 2000a). The suggestion is that teachers who teach children who are like themselves linguistically, culturally, and racially are the most ideal to facilitate learning (Martinez, 1994). Nonetheless, there is little scholarly discourse on the role or impact that socioeconomic class plays in scenarios where teachers and students share the same racial background. Using Ray Rist's (1970) seminal work as an anchor, this study employed a qualitative approach to examine the perceptions of five African American male teachers who identify as middle class and who teach in schools or programs that serve predominantly low-income African American students. Analysis of the interviews led to the following conclusions: the differences in socioeconomic class influenced the teachers' general perception of their students and their capability as learners. Notwithstanding these perceptions, the teachers expressed a profound sense of love and care for their students and believed themselves to be uniquely qualified to provide them with what they need beyond the traditional curriculum<br>Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012<br>Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education<br>Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction
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Crawford, Yashica Jariece. "Level of voice among urban and rural African-American middle-school students." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2005. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0010523.
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Alexander, Candace Y. "Factors which influence low-income Afican American middle school students in mathematics." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 2008. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/45.
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Factors which influence low-income African-American middle school students in Mathematics were examined in this study. Likewise, this study examined the extent to which student achievement in mathematics at the middle school level in a metropolitan Atlanta school district may be explained by certain school and teacher related variables such as instructional strategies, classroom management, teacher expectations, site-based professional learning, and teacher satisfaction with resources and how these factors might impact or cause a difference in student achievement in math as measured by the 2007 Criteria Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores. The research presented in this dissertation provides a starting point for developing school plans to improve mathematics instruction. The practices identified reflect a mixture of emerging strategies and practices in long-term use. This study was based on the assumption that instructional strategies, classroom management, teacher expectations, site-based professional learning, and teacher satisfaction with resources would have a significant impact in middle school students’ math achievement. It is presumed that this study would assist leaders in providing quality instruction that would benefit teachers and low income, minority children. This study is expected to further assist principals and/or leaders in providing quality leadership that will benefit middle school teachers in low-income School Wide Title I middle schools and meet the needs of their students. The significance of this study is in assistance that it can give administrators in structuring site-based professional learning and development programs along with arranging for monitoring and communication methods that will meet the needs of teachers and students. Additionally, this research will add to a body of scholarship and may cause individuals to examine and put into place, or remove certain policies and practices in middle school math classes. As a final point, this research will determine the need for additional research. The methodology employed a quantitative, quasi-experimental, ex-post facto design to review possible variables that may affect student achievement in mathematics grades six through eight. The researcher found that there was no relationship between student achievement in mathematics and the independent variables. The only significant relationship found in this study was that there was a relationship between student achievement in mathematics as measured by the CRCT and teacher preparation. Teachers with college or university based preparation had students with higher student achievement performance levels.
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Washington, Ahmad Rashad. "A Phenomonenological Examination of Middle School African American Adolescent Mens' Experiences with Professional School Counselors." Diss., University of Iowa, 2013. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/4925.
Full textAbstract:
This qualitative study was conducted with a sample of five (5) middle school African American adolescent men from two different schools in the same school district to explore their perceptions of and experiences with their professional school counselors. Phenomenological qualitative methodology was used to complete this study. To gather research data, two semi-structured interviews with open ended questioning were conducted. Phenomenological data analysis was performed, which included the creation of meaning units, preliminary and then more detailed themes; ultimately five themes emanated from the data. These five themes include An Understanding of the Role of the School Counselor; Effective and Ineffective Performance of the School Counseling Roles; Factors Contributing to a Positive School Counselor/Student Dynamic; Personal and Social Factors Encouraging or Deterring Interactions with the School Counselor; and The Students' Tentative Occupational Interests. The themes suggest that participants have beliefs about the purpose of school counseling which align with national and state guidelines for the school counseling profession. In addition, themes reveal that the relationship between school counselor and student is extremely important and that this relationship is cultivated and nurtured in a number of ways. Data also indicated that depending on how well school counselors perform these duties and connect effectively with students, participants are able distinguish between effective and ineffective performance of the school counselor role. As important as these variables are, data also indicated there are personal and social variables which can encourage or deter participants' contact with their school counseling. The last theme details the participants' occupational interests. Implications for professional school counselors in these two schools and the school counselor education profession more generally are also provided. In conclusion, limitations and suggestions for future research are explored.
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Smith, Debra Elaine. "The Lived Experience of African American Parents of Middle School Boys at a Predominantly White Elite Private School." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2008. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cps_diss/30.
Full textAbstract:
ABSTRACT THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PARENTS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS AT A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE ELITE PRIVATE SCHOOL by Debra Elaine Smith Parental involvement has been associated positively with school success across ethnic groups (Hong & Ho, 2005). Yet, some African American parents were found to be more alienated from school than were White parents (Abrams & Gibbs, 2002). One of the most consistent findings in educational research is the underachievement of African American males (Lee, 2003), and a recent report chronicled the pervasive and systematic failure of public schools to educate African American males (Schott, 2008). In the southeastern region, only 40% of African American males graduate from high school (Schott); however, in the post-Civil Rights era, advances in racial equity in education and other arenas of society have created a growing African American middle class (McKinnon, 2003). The southeast region has the largest percent of affluent African Americans (Miller, 2002), and a growing number of these upper middle class African American parents are sending their children to private schools because they are dissatisfied with the lack of rigor in the public school experience (Freedman,2004). This is a new phenomenon that warrants study. Currently, there are no empirical studies on middle class African American parents who send their children to private schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways 12 African American couples of middle school boys experience a predominantly White elite private school. To undertake this qualitative investigation, a phenomenological approach incorporating grounded theory was utilized. This research approach is well suited for exploratory investigation of phenomena that are not yet clearly defined within the literature (Creswell, 1998). Data were collected from the couple interviews, focus group, demographic information, and reflexive journal. Five overarching themes emerged from the analysis of the data: better opportunity/brand, parental connection, selective engagement, parental struggle, and parental marginalization. These results are informative and significant to research and practice. Ultimately, it is hoped that this study may contribute to the efforts of providing a quality education to African American male students and satisfaction to their parents in the areas of diversity and inclusion at predominantly White elite private schools.
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Huff-Franklin, Clairie Louisa. "AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF VALUE-ADDED AND ACADEMIC OPTIMISM OF URBAN READING TEACHERS." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1492180577150475.
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Dickey, Donyall D. "The African American Middle School Male Achievement Gap and Performance on State Assessments." Thesis, The George Washington University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3746729.
Full textAbstract:
<p> In contrast the plethora of between-race studies in the extant literature that focus on well-known and documented disparities between White and African American students, this study was conducted to gain direct insight from resilient, African American boys who beat the odds and achieved academically despite being at significant risk for failure due to extended exposure to compounded social and educational disadvantages. The primary foci of this investigation were to broaden understanding of the gender-specific challenges to academic achievement that African American boys encounter in school, understand how they overcome those challenges to succeed academically, and identify school-level enabling characteristics that contribute to their success – each from their perspective. Using semi-structured interviews with eight African American middle school boys, the findings of this study illustrate how these students accomplished proficient on state assessments in reading and mathematics – a feat that 85% of their peers did not accomplish nationwide.</p>
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Sadberry, Verdie Ruth. "A Case Study of African American Parental Involvement in an Urban Middle School." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3205.
Full textAbstract:
Studying parental involvement offers the opportunity to develop new strategies and resources to
increase involvement at the middle schools serving a similar demographic population. In a large
economically disadvantaged urban middle school in the southeastern United States, very little
parental involvement occurs from the African American population. The purpose of this qualitative
single case study was to examine African American parents' perception about their involvement in
their middle school students' education. Guided by Epstein, Simon, and Salinas' parental
involvement model, which describes 6 levels of parental involvement, the research questions guiding
this project study examined African American parents' perceptions about middle school children's
educational experiences, the level of parental involvement in middle school education, and parental
beliefs about student success. A purposeful participant pool of 10
African American parents of Grade 7 and 8 students was used for data collection. Ten parents
completed the preliminary paper questionnaire, 10 parents participated in 1-on-1 semi-structured
interviews, and 7 parents participated in a focus group discussion. Thematic analysis of data
followed the open coding process and identified categories and themes. The findings suggested the
need for a parent education program involving the use of new strategies and resources for
increasing African American parent involvement at the middle school level. Social change will
occur by empowering African American parents to be involved in their middle school students'
education.
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Warthen, Susan. "Instructional Strategies of Effective Mathematics Teachers of African American Upper Elementary Students." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4187.
Full textAbstract:
National assessments have revealed that African American students do not demonstrate proficiency in mathematics to the same degree as their White counterparts; however, some teachers are able to guide their African American students to mathematics success. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the instructional strategies of teachers who have been successful in promoting mathematics achievement in African American students. This study was guided by a single research question that focused on the instructional strategies used by teachers whose African American upper elementary students demonstrated proficiency in mathematics on a state standardized test. Feuerstein's mediated learning experience theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through interviews, document analysis, and observations of 6 upper elementary teachers from 3 different schools in a single school district. Open coding was used to note emergent themes that formed the basis for the findings. This study identified 7 effective strategies for teaching mathematics to African American students: employing repetition and review, using specific teaching tools, grouping for instruction, applying assessment and reteaching, engaging student discourse, using word problems, and making real life connections. The strategies that emerged from the study displayed characteristics of the traditional and reform approaches to teaching mathematics as well as culturally relevant pedagogy. These strategies may be useful in helping teachers to increase African American students' achievement in mathematics as well as their feelings of self-efficacy. The findings of this study may improve the pedagogical practices of mathematics teachers of African American students.
36
Jumal, O. Ajamu. "The vanishing African-American male student in middle and high school college preparatory classrooms." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1991. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/590.
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Elliott, Lyndzey R. "Teachers' Attitudes toward School Discipline| Studying How a Student's Implied Race May Influence Teachers' Understanding of School Discipline." Thesis, The George Washington University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10742878.
Full textAbstract:
<p> This research explores the ways a student’s implied race may impact teachers’ understanding of school discipline. While the school-to-prison pipeline has been studied extensively, the role of gender, and the factors that may shape the disproportionate punishment of African-American girls, has been neglected. This study focuses on how the implied racial identity of girls may affect which girls are punished for violating school rules, as well as the extent to which they are punished, in some cases also showing how teachers understand their own motivation to punish. This study uses four vignettes to gauge responses to hypothetical rule violations from 34 current and/or former middle or high school teachers in the United States, comparing how the educators respond to differently raced girls who are identified as breaking school disciplinary codes. This study is a small but important piece in analyzing the school-to-prison pipeline and, in particular, to see why race is often a distorting factor in understanding who we punish and how we punish them. One of the findings of this study is that racial and gendered stereotypes and biases may lead to disproportionate and overly harsh school discipline recommendations for African-American girls. Encouragingly, responses from this survey did reflect an unexpected, yet promising shift from punitive to more restorative practices in terms of how some teachers want to handle school code violations. This newer approach to school discipline could potentially reduce the number of suspensions and/or expulsions, possibly lessening the presence of African-American girls in the school-to-prison pipeline.</p><p>
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Ives, Denise Kay. ""We stranded in school" survival literacy through adaptive colorations among high-achieving African American middle school students /." Diss., Connect to online resource - MSU authorized users, 2008.
Find full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Curriculum, Teaching & Educational Policy, 2008.<br>Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 7, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-173). Also issued in print.
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Thompson, Lucinda R. "Teachers' perceptions toward culturally responsive teaching of African American high school students." Thesis, University of Phoenix, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3708714.
Full textAbstract:
<p> The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case study was to explore teachers’ perceptions toward culturally responsive teaching (CRT) of African American high school students in reading and language arts classrooms. Reading scores have increased for both African American and Caucasian students, but on average, African American students do not perform as well on reading tests as their Caucasian peers. Fifteen reading and language arts teachers from one high school in Florida were interviewed using a semistructured, open-ended interview format. Analysis of the data led to answers to the research questions for the study. The findings indicate that teachers are not prepared to teach in culturally responsive ways. The findings add to the current literature indicating that teachers support CRT but struggle to apply the strategies because of a lack of CRT training and culturally enriched reading material. Based on the findings, leaders are encouraged to engage teachers in conversations to become aware of their cultural biases, acquire knowledge of CRT, evaluate the CRT practices of teachers to determine what CRT strategies and support are needed for teachers, develop a CRT professional development plan and require all school personnel to participate in training, provide supplemental culturally enriched material for teachers to use in the classroom, and follow-up with teachers to evaluate additional needs.</p>
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Richardson, Sandra Denise. "Junior High School Teachers' Perceptions of Math Instruction for African American Students." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3001.
Full textAbstract:
A mathematics achievement gap exists between 8th grade African American students and other ethnic groups. Guided by the conceptual framework of constructivism, the purpose of this case study was to examine 8, Grade 8 math teachers' perceptions of factors contributing to mathematical performance gap in their African American students and what instructional strategies can be used to help reduce the achievement gap in southwest Georgia. Data were obtained through interviews and classroom observations and were coded and analyzed using typological analysis, followed by inductive analysis. The results of the data revealed teachers perceived recruiting and retaining African American teachers and providing professional development on the various co-teaching strategies, could help lower the achievement gap between African American students and other ethnic groups in the area of mathematics. Based on the findings, a professional development plan was created which addressed co-teaching, aligning instruction to the needs of African American students' culture, and implementing different instructional strategies in the math classroom. The implementation of this project may contribute toward positive social change by helping teachers support 8th grade African American students' performance in mathematics thus improving math achievement.
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Hawkins, Torrance N. "The relationship between verve and the academic achievement of African American and European American middle school students." Texas A&M University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/3122.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine if verve had any impact on the
academic achievement of African American middle school students. The three guiding
questions of this research were:
1. Is there a significant difference in the verve levels between African
American and European American students?
2. Is there a significant difference in verve levels of African American male
and African American female students in middle school?
3. Is there a significant difference in the academic achievement of African
American and European American students who possess high and low
verve in the areas of reading and math?
A 24-item questionnaire was administered to 211 middle school students to
determine if any verve levels were present, and if so, to what degree did the verve
levels impact academic performance? The findings were:
1. The verve levels were different between the African American and the
European American students. The African American students in this study
possessed higher amounts of verve.
2. The verve levels were different between the African American males and
the African American females. The African American females in this study
had higher amounts of verve than the African American males.
3. There was no relationship between the higher verve levels among the
African American and European American students and their academic
achievement in reading and math.
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Wood, Osie Leon Jr. "Family Support Factors in African American Families That Promote Academic Achievement for Male Middle-School Students." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2012. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/37.
Full textAbstract:
One of the most consistently reported challenges in the education literature is the underachievement of African American males at all levels of the education pipeline - from elementary and secondary schools through to postsecondary education. African American boys are falling behind and they are falling behind early. This research focuses on resources within the home environment that are available to support the educational achievement of African American boys. There are a number of mechanisms through which parental involvement in the home and at school may promote academic success that are being examined: parental involvement in school activities, expectations that parents share with their sons and for which they hold them accountable, and parental trust and support for both their sons and their sons' schools.
This research sampled families of African American boys in the eighth grade attending Middle Schools in the North Long Beach area of Southern California. It employed a mixed methods approach in using both questionnaires and surveys for collecting data. Thirty two parents were selected at random and completed questionnaires about attitudes and behaviors related to the home environment that impact their sons' educations. An additional group of randomly selected parents were personally interviewed to gain more in-depth responses.
The sample was then divided into two groups according to the STAR Math scores attained by eighth grade boys in the families responding. This measure was used as an indicator of academic success because the STAR test score determines the Math class level for children in the local school district - with those scoring above 325 advancing to Geometry and those scoring below 325 taking lower level classes. The results of the questionnaires and interviews indicate an overall relationship in both groups showing trust and high expectations as being very important in fostering academic success in African American boys in the eighth grade. The consistency of positive home structural factors contributed to the academic success of boys in the families studied in spite of negative factors such as economic deprivation, parental unemployment, previous parental incarceration and lack of transportation.
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Harris, Paula Williams. "African American High School Graduates' Perceived Academic Success Factors." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2447.
Full textAbstract:
A large number of African American students attending a low performing, urban high school in Tennessee demonstrated a lack of understanding in reading/language arts by scoring below proficient on the end of course (EOC) exam in reading/language arts. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceptions of 10 African American graduates who scored proficient on the reading/language arts EOC exam to seek factors they associated with their academic success. This study was guided by Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory. The research question addressed the perceived factors that African American graduates associated with their academic success. Purposeful sampling was used to select 10 African American graduates who scored proficient on the EOC reading/language arts exam and who were 18 years or older. The data were collected through one-on-one interviews and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The data revealed that all the participants had a positive adult figure who motivated and encouraged them to continue to succeed. Based on the research findings, a project on mentoring was developed. Implementation of a professional development workshop on mentoring could bring about a positive social change for more African American students because the project provides a mentor for more African American students at this high school, which may lead to more African American students improving their academic success.
44
Anderson, Keyon. "Fostering academic and familial resiliency in African American middle school students| a grant proposal." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1603759.
Full textAbstract:
<p> The purpose of the project was to write a grant proposal to fund the early prevention and intervention, College SPARK Program at Operation Jump Start (OJS) in Long Beach, CA. The program will provide resiliency training to low income, first generation middle school (6th-8th grades) African American students of Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) and their parents/guardians. The College SPARK Program will utilize the evidence based WhyTry curriculum, which has been proven to increase academic performance, graduation rates, school climate and attendance; while simultaneously decreasing problematic behaviors and other risk factors associated with academic failure. The literature addressed the area of early academic preparation, academic resiliency, the Ecological Theoretical Model Perceptive, positive protective and negative factors, and personal, family, school and community factors that contribute to one’s ability to become resilient. Submission and/or funding was not required for the successful completion of this project.</p>
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Crawford, Yashica Jariece. "Level of voice and self-construal among African-American middle and high school students." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2009. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0024846.
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Hudgens, Tanée M. Kurtz-Costes Beth. "Racial socialization and identity across the transition to middle school among African American youth." Chapel Hill, N.C. : University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009. http://dc.lib.unc.edu/u?/etd,2349.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009.<br>Title from electronic title page (viewed Jun. 26, 2009). "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Psychology Developmental. " Discipline: Psychology; Department/School: Psychology.
47
Johnson, Donna. "Achieving success : A qualitative study of the school lives of high-achieving African American girls attending middle school in a suburban school district /." Access Digital Full Text version, 1996. http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/bybib/11974862.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Teachers College, Columbia University, 1996.<br>Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Josue M. Gozalez. Dissertation Committee: Thomas Sobol. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 221-238).
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Davis, Welch JerMara Camille. "Race & Class: An Intergenerational Study of Privileged African Americans Educated in Predominantly White and Integrated Suburban Schools." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/556870.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation sought to better understand the K-12 school experiences of middle and upper income Blacks educated in predominantly White and integrated suburban school systems. Through the narratives of six (6) participants—four females and two males (split evenly between Generations Y and Z)—the study contributes toward knowledge on African American within-group differences and perspectives on K-12 school experiences. The theoretical frames of social location and trust were used to help guide this investigation. Through social location, I sought to understand the interconnectedness of one's race, class, and gender and how these locations impact school experiences. Through the theoretical frame of trust, I sought to understand "overall" participant confidence in the educational processes (academic and social) they underwent. While findings from this dissertation matched some of what is already well-documented on the K-12 school experiences of Black American students in general, by focusing on within-group differences relevant to class and generational grouping, key variances in experiences (not often reported) were revealed. For example, as the study was intergenerational in scope, there was a clear generational divide among study participants in terms of their views relating to how race impacted their K-12 school experiences. Despite the fact that most felt that their schools were not sensitive to their needs as African Americans, race seemed to be less of a concern with Gen Z'ers than with Gen Y'ers. More specifically, while participants from Generation Y were explicit in stating that race had an impact on their school experiences, Generation Z was hesitant to say that race influenced their experiences. Interestingly, as all participants dealt with racial stereotyping, the biggest perpetrators of such stereotypes were peers and not educators. The influence of socioeconomic class on school experiences was also significant as most participants felt that their economic status influenced their cross-cultural interactions. In addition, while the social location of gender was not heavily emphasized in this dissertation, there were variations in perspectives stratified across gender lines. Taken together, a major conclusion was that one's social location (inclusive of generational grouping) cannot be ignored when taking into account the academic experiences of African American students as a whole. Finally, this dissertation highlighted the overall confidence each participant had in the educational process they experienced (academically and socially). Although all encountered some tough circumstances directly related to their social location, everyone felt positive overall about their school experiences—perceiving the academic training they received and inter-ethnic social interactions, as an asset.
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Grigsby, Bettye Lois. "African American male students' perceptions of social, emotional, physical, and academic variables in their transition from elementary school to middle school." Texas A&M University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/4170.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine four variables that impact African
American male studentsâ perceptions of their transition from elementary school to
middle school. This study determined what role social, emotional, physical, and
academic variables have in the transition process from elementary school to middle
school for African American males.
The two guiding questions for this mixed methods study were:
1. What are African American male studentsâ perceptions of personal
development variables on their transition from elementary school to middle
school?
2. How do African American male students describe their transitional
experience from elementary school to middle school?
Participants in this study were 149 African American male students from five
middle schools in southeast Texas. Findings of the study were derived from the use of a self-developed 52-item questionnaire (Student Transition Perception Survey) with one
free-response question and interviews of ten students (two from each school).
The major findings in this study were:
1. Social variable âÂÂAfrican American male students felt that schools did not
provide a positive school climate, teachers did not treat them with respect,
and their parents were supportive of their education.
2. Emotional variable âÂÂAfrican American male students felt that schools did
not make them feel successful, and they did not feel equal to their peers.
3. Physical variable âÂÂAfrican American male students were equally divided in
the acceptance of their physical appearance and when they compared
themselves to others.
4. Academic variable âÂÂAfrican American male students felt that teachers did
not give them valuable attention in class.
5. When looking at the trend of student responses among the five schools,
African American male students shared similar feelings about the social,
emotional, physical, and academic variables.
6. African American male students expressed their feelings about being unsafe,
experiencing differentiated teacher treatment, declining grades, and difficulty
in their middle school transition.
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Washington, Carrie Smith Johnson. "A study of former Negro high school students, teachers and administrators in the Piedmont area of North Carolina." [Johnson City, Tenn. : East Tennessee State University], 2002. http://etd-submit.etsu.edu/etd/theses/available/etd-0531102-163233/unrestricted/Washington062302.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ed. D.)--East Tennessee State University, 2002.<br>Originally issued in electronic format. UMI number: 3083443. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-91). Also available via the World Wide Web.