Black Males Who Hold Advanced Degrees: Critical Factors that Preclude and Promote Success

Scott, Lawrence; Sharp, Laurie A.

doi:10.7709/jnegroeducation.88.1.0044

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Fortunately, Joseph, like other participants with parents who held advanced degrees, appeared to borrow lessons from the graduate school experiences of his parents to inform his approach to challenges. Thus, consonant with existing research (McCallum, 2016;Scott & Sharp, 2019), some parents aided persistence because participants could draw on parents' or family members' knowledge and experiences and apply them to their own graduate school challenges.…”

Section: Family Members Serve As Sources Of External and Internal Motivationmentioning

confidence: 96%

Black Men in Engineering Graduate Programs: A Theoretical Model of the Motivation to Persist

Burt

Roberson

Johnson

et al. 2020

Teachers College Record

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Background A growing body of research highlights the experiences of Black men students who successfully navigate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational pathways. Many Black men graduate students in engineering describe moments when their advisors, peers, and, at times, community members make them feel different because of their race and gender. Needed is a better understanding of what motivates Black men to persist in graduate school despite such challenges. Purpose This study advances a new theoretical model, “Black Men's Graduate Engineering Motivation” (BMGEM), to describe the overlaying factors and sources of motivation—and their interrelations—that influence Black men in engineering graduate programs to persist. Research Design To explore the motivational factors that influence Black men in graduate engineering programs at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) to persist, this study of 42 students used an eight-item demographic form, one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and follow-up focus groups. Data analysis was conducted using adapted grounded theory techniques. After the completion of data collection and multiple iterations of analyses (both inductive and deductive), existing conceptualizations of motivation were used to help make sense of data. The connection to existing literature, code development, their placement into categories, and placing categories into themes led to the creation of a substantive, practice-informing theory: Black Men's Graduate Engineering Motivation. Findings Data analysis resulted in the theory of Black Men's Graduate Engineering Motivation (BMGEM). The BMGEM explains the overlaying factors that influence individuals’ experiences and motivations to persist (i.e., sociocultural factors, personal factors, social identities, pre-graduate school experiences), and external and internal motivational sources that also influence students’ motivations to persist (i.e., desire to earn a graduate degree, desire to become an engineer, challenges during graduate school, peers, family members, [under]representation, self-coaching practices, career and professional goals). Conclusions and Recommendations The findings from this study inform future research, and practice-based strategies around broadening participation, that aid in Black men's progress through science and engineering pathways. With this new information, we charge engineering colleges to make true commitments to broadening participation, which means centering students—in this case, Black men—as contributors to STEM. In doing so, engineering colleges need to commit to helping Black men succeed. Assisting in their motivation to persist is a key to meeting this charge.

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Section: Family Members Serve As Sources Of External and Internal Motivationmentioning

confidence: 96%

Black Men in Engineering Graduate Programs: A Theoretical Model of the Motivation to Persist

Burt

Roberson

Johnson

et al. 2020

Teachers College Record

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While in college, I did not have any Black male professors. Several studies illustrate that having those campus-based role models, archetypes, or even retention organizations, improves Black students' sense of belonging and well-being, builds student retention, supports degree attainment (Strayhorn et al, 2015;Brooms, 2018Brooms, , 2019Clark and Brooms, 2018;Scott and Sharp, 2019;Strayhorn, 2022). For our Black boys, a sense of mattering, especially as it relates to a sense of belonging increases engagement that can lead to successful outcomes (Carey, 2019(Carey, , 2020; or the lack thereof, can have baneful effects on Black male students' sense of belonging, causing social and psychological isolation (Strayhorn, 2020).…”

Section: In Collegementioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond academia: a reflexive exploration of a professor’s journey from awareness to advocacy of the African American studies course curriculum

Scott

2023

Front. Educ.

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In 2020, African American studies course was unanimously passed as an elective course for high school credit in Texas. Since that time, the course has been met with societal and legislative resistance, due to the ubiquity of anti-Critical Race Theory laws around the nation. This submission seeks to understand the lived experience of a university professor, who minored in History, taught Social Studies in predominantly Black and Brown communities, but discovered the vast absence of African American contributions in the high school and higher education curricula. It was when he led a national advisory team for the Texas State Board of Education that helped revise, pass, and implement the African American studies course for a high school credit, that he realized how vital this course is for all students. This reflexive narrative account seeks to understand the process of the author’s transition from an interested educator aware of Black History to an avid advocate with full appreciation of a comprehensive African American studies course for high school students.

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“…Hardre and Hackett (2015) determined that one of the most important reasons graduate students cited for attending graduate school was "to help me achieve my professional goals,'' which was confirmed in this study. Scott and Sharp (2019) found that aspects of "cultural beliefs," which include spirituality, communal responsibility and self-belief, were essential critical factors for educational success at the graduate level for African American males. PBIs fostered those protective factors associated with positive mental health, including selfesteem, identity, and spirituality (Mushonga & Henneberger, 2020).…”

Section: Personal Benefitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This result indicates the degree to which individuals attending PBIs have an innate desire to serve and build up their community through their life's work. Scott and Sharp (2019) noted in their study of African American men who possessed a graduate degree that some felt the weight of a "responsibility to be significant contributors within their community" (p. 52). This finding supports Boland's (2018) assertion that goals "including community and culture are often seen as the secret to how [MSIs] have been able to graduate a higher number of students of color.…”

Section: Personal Benefitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alumni Perceptions of the Educational Benefits of Their Graduate Degrees from a PBI

Elhage

Laoesebikan

Black-Parker

2022

JETHE

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Much of the research on the benefits of graduate education for minority students has focused on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Little has been done on Predominantly Black Institutions. This case study attempts to shed light on alumni perceptions of the benefits of their graduate education at a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI), Chicago State University. The researchers surveyed the accessible population of Chicago State University alumni who completed requirements for their master’s and doctoral degrees between the academic years 2008 and 2018. Results indicate that perceived benefits fell into two categories: 1) personal benefits that accrued to the graduate and 2) enabling benefits that encouraged the completion of graduate study. Personal benefits included personal fulfillment, an enhanced knowledge of a profession or discipline, and advancement in a career including promotions and salary raises, while some enabling benefits included perceived program quality, the financial accessibility of graduate study at a PBI, and a supportive learning environment. Findings from this study of alumni can lend insights to effective approaches to teaching graduate students from diverse backgrounds.

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Black Males Who Hold Advanced Degrees: Critical Factors that Preclude and Promote Success

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Black Men in Engineering Graduate Programs: A Theoretical Model of the Motivation to Persist

Black Men in Engineering Graduate Programs: A Theoretical Model of the Motivation to Persist

Beyond academia: a reflexive exploration of a professor’s journey from awareness to advocacy of the African American studies course curriculum

Alumni Perceptions of the Educational Benefits of Their Graduate Degrees from a PBI

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