Equity perspectives of school stakeholders regarding the representation and access of black male students in an academy of engineering

Abstract

In this study, we utilized a case study approach to examine the perspectives of 20 school stakeholders regarding equitable ways they promote and broaden the participation of Black male students in a high school academy of engineering (AOE). Madison River Academy (pseudonym) is a comprehensive high school with an AOE embedded in it. The ethnic and racial backgrounds of students at Madison River Academy are 68.8% Black, 14.4% Latinx, 8.7% White, 4.3% Asian, and 3.4% Multiracial. Three themes emerged from our data analyses of the school stakeholder interviews, including the following: (a) a cultural mismatch: denoting the cultural disconnect between teachers and Black male students; (b) math as a gatekeeper: symbolizing mathematics as a barrier Black male participation in the AOE; and (c) promoting equitable access: representing strategies the school stakeholders discussed that could address the equity issues within the AOE. More specifically, within the promoting equitable access theme, two subthemes emerged: building vertical pathways from middle to high school and applying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pathways. We provide recommendations for addressing the equity issues within our case study and promoting higher levels of participation of Black male students in the AOE.broadening participation in STEM, career academy, culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally responsive pedagogy, equity Even though Blacks comprise 12% of the workforce, Blacks represent only 5% of the workforce in science and engineering occupations (National Science Board, 2018). Even further, in the 2017-2018 academic year, Black students earned only 7% of baccalaureate degrees in STEM. Within 2-year colleges, Black students represented 13% of the population in STEM technician education programs (e.g., programs preparing students to attain an associate degree of applied science in engineering technologies, computer and information sciences, science technologies, and agriculture), compared to 68% for White students. Black students represented 8% of science and engineering

Unlocking the gate

“…Mathematics continues to function as a gatekeeper in the sciences especially among underserved, underrepresented, and racially minoritized students (Levya et al, 2021;Thompson, 2022;Fletcher et al, 2023). The contribution of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in broadening the participation of racially minoritized students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the United States is significant (Sampson, 2023).…”