Pathways to Success at a Historically Black College and University: An Examination of the Experiences of First Generation African American Male Students

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dc.contributor.author Andrews, Curdedra N.
dc.coverage.spatial United States en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2018-01-02T17:59:48Z
dc.date.available 2018-01-02T17:59:48Z
dc.date.issued 2017-12
dc.identifier.citation Andrews, Curdedra N. "Pathways to Success at a Historically Black College and University: An Examination of the Experiences of First Generation African American Male Students." PhD diss., Valdosta State University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10428/2962.
dc.identifier.other A93094C5-A893-C281-4E4A-92949247C1A5 UUID
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10428/2962
dc.description.abstract Over the past two decades First Generation African American (FGAA) males have been underrepresented in America’s colleges and universities. Nearly 67% of those enrolled, specifically at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), have failed to obtain a 4-year degree. Therefore, I utilized a phenomenological design with Astin, Spady, Tinto, and Bean as the theoretical frameworks. I interviewed six FGAA male students utilizing a series of three-interviews to understand their experiences at an HBCU (Seidman, 2006). In addition, I reviewed institutional documents such as the student code of conduct manual, campus activity bi-laws, and student transcripts, to compare the data obtained through the interviews. Data analysis utilizing memos, categorizing, connecting strategies, document analysis, and constant comparative method produced three themes: community and family influences on educational goals; responding productively to racism; and First Generation (FG) students reinventing themselves. The findings suggest FGAA male students are more likely to be successful because of resilience and persistence which helps them break down barriers. The findings also suggest although FGAA male students may start college at a disadvantage, special characteristics of persistence and resilience might benefit all African American (AA) male students. en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 | Overview 1 | Statement of the Problem 3 | Purpose of the Study 4 | Research Questions 4 | Significance of the Study 4 | Theoretical Framework 5 | Methodology 7 | Limitations 7 | Definition of Terms 8 | Summary 10 | Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 11 | Historical Overview 12 | Student Retention: Theory Models 15 | Vincent Tinto: Departure Theory 15 | Alexander Astin: Student Involvement Theory 20 | William Spady: Student Attrition Theory 23 | John Bean: Psychological Theory of Retention 25 | Retention Barriers 28 | Retention Strategies 36 | Student-Faculty Interaction 38 | Mentoring 39 | Academic Advising 40 | First Generation College Students 40 | Historically Black Colleges and Universities 44 | Summary 46 | Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 47 | Research Design 48 | Site and Participant Selection 50 | Sample Selection 50 | | Data Collection 51 | Participant Interviews 52 | Document Reviews 54 | Data Analysis 55 | Validity 57 | Ethical Considerations 59 | Summary 60 | Chapter IV: FINDINGS 62 | Fundamental Analysis 64 | Participants 65 | Ralph 67 | Ronnie 71 | Bobby 75 | Ricky 80 | Mike 82 | Johnny 86 | Summary 90 | Chapter V: DISCUSSION OF THEMES 91 | Theme I: Community and Family Influences on Educational Goals 94 | Family Influence 95 | Community Influence 98 | Theme II: Responding Productively to Racism 102 | Theme III: FG Student Reinventing Themselves 108 | Summary 113 | Chapter VI: ANALYSIS 114 | Theme I: Community and Family Influences on Educational Goals 116 | Theme II: Responding Productively to Racism 118 | Theme III: FG Students Reinventing Themselves 120 | Research Questions: Final Discussion Summary 122 | Limitations of the Study 130 | Implications for Policy and Practice 131 | | Recommendations for Further Research 132 | Conclusion 132 | REFERENCES 134 | APPENDIX A: Valdosta State University Consent to Participate 146 | APPENDIX B: Participant Invitation Letter 150 | APPENDIX C: Participant Questionnaire 153 | APPENDIX D: Audiotaped Consent Statement 156 | APPENDIX E: Interview Schedules 158 | APPENDIX F: Interview Questions 161 | APPENDIX G: Institutional Review Board Approval 164 | en_US
dc.language.iso en_US en_US
dc.subject African Americans--Education--History en_US
dc.subject African Americans--Education (Higher) en_US
dc.subject African American universities and colleges en_US
dc.subject African American male college students en_US
dc.title Pathways to Success at a Historically Black College and University: An Examination of the Experiences of First Generation African American Male Students en_US
dc.type Dissertation en_US
dc.contributor.department Department of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology of the Dewar College of Education and Human Services en_US
dc.description.advisor Tsemunhu, Rudo E.
dc.description.committee Green, Robert B.
dc.description.committee Truby, William F.
dc.description.degree Ed.D. en_US
dc.description.major Educational Leadership en_US


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