Understanding Black Male Mathematics High Achievers from the Inside Out: Internal Risk and Protective Factors in High School

Risk, Protection, and Identity Development in High‐Achieving Black Males in High School

“…The existing literature suggests that these strategies, often referred to as coping mechanisms, include modifying presentations of self, such as changing one's comportment and attire and moderating the volume and tone of one's voice (Goings, Smith, Harris, Wilson, & Lancaster, 2015;Rodr ıguez & Greer, 2017); reconceiving academic achievement in terms of racial uplift (Andrews, 2009); developing a strong rapport with school staff and teachers (Skiba, & Losen, 2016); cultivating ethnically affirming peer groups (Anderson, Jones, Anyiwo, McKenny, & Gaylord-Harden, 2019;Walker, 2006); enrolling in advanced coursework (Rodriguez & McGuire, 2019); and spending time with positive role models (McGee, & Pearman,, 2015). Not enough attention has been paid to how these coping strategies and the contexts in which they are carried out relate to students' perceptions of themselves as both scholars and Black males.…”

“…As noted above, the purpose of this study is to better understand how Black males understand the factors that either jeopardize or support their mathematics identities during high school. Following the lead of mathematics education researchers who have provided rich and compelling counter narratives that highlight the achievement and positive mathematics education experiences of African American males despite encountering negative societal views and academic barriers (e.g., McGee & Pearman, 2015;Berry, 2008;Goings et al, 2015;Larnell, 2016), the current study expands on this work by linking the development of a robust mathematics identity to the negotiation of risk and protective factors within the contexts in which Black males spend their time 2 (for an analysis of internal risk and protective factors affecting the mathematics identity development of these same Black males, see McGee & Pearman, 2015).…”

“…2 Robust mathematics identity: Author 2 introduced the construct of fragile and robust mathematical identities for the purpose of exploring the experiences that influenced the mathematical and racial identities of high-achieving Black college students in mathematics and engineering. Robust Mathematical Identity is defined as the strength and agency that students' develop in spite of their racialization to maintain selfmotivated mathematics success (McGee & Pearman, 2015).…”

“…This paper aims to shed light on these questions by examining the external protective factors allowing a subgroup of Black males to maintain a high level of academic success in mathematics while living in urban neighborhoods and navigating the acute and/or systemic risks associated with their high school experience-all the while cultivating robust identities as high-achieving black male mathematicians. Drawing from Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), a sociocultural framework for understanding identity development, the aim of this paper, and of the series of studies of which it is a part (McGee & Pearman, 2014;McGee & Pearman, 2015), is to contribute to the growing body of literature on Black male strength and achievement against a backdrop of unequal access and inequitable opportunity and to provide an account of Black male achievement that defies "racist societal views of their own competence and worthiness and that of their families and communities" (Delpit, 2012, p. xix, quoted in McGee, 2012.…”

Black Parents as Advocates, Motivators, and Teachers of Mathematics

“…In addition to citing the role of Black fathers and other close male relatives as their first mathematics teachers, participants indicated the presence of culturally affirming at-home mathematics activities, and described their own aspirations to teach mathematics fearlessly to their own children and future students. In several studies, mathematically talented Black students cited parental or guardian motivation as key in their development of mathematics literacy, and they described benefitting from parents who strongly encouraged mathematics excellence in their households (Ellington, 2006;Jackson & Remillard, 2005;Martin, 2000;McGee & Pearman, 2015;Remillard & Jackson, 2006). The varied illustrations of support, from a phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST-) informed, vulnerability-resiliency perspective (see, Spencer, 2006; provide explanations for the many demonstrations of academic efficacy and resiliency, irrespective of objective risk factors.…”