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Helping Adolescent African American Males Value Education Through Mentoring in a Threatening Era D

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Helping Adolescent African American Males Value Education Through Mentoring in a Threatening Era D DON’T FALL BY THE WAYSIDE: HELPING ADOLESCENT AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES VALUE EDUCATION THROUGH MENTORING IN A THREATENING ERA A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION by Olufemi Fadeyibi May 2020 Examining Committee Members: Dr. Michael W. Smith, Chair, Secondary Education, Teaching and Learning Dr. Jennifer Johnson, Higher Education, Policy, Organizational, & Leadership Studies Dr. Joseph Haviland, Secondary Education, Teaching and Learning Dr. Beth Olanoff, External Member, School Leadership, Policy, Organizational, Leadership Studies I © Copyright 2020 by Olufemi Fadeyibi All Rights Reserved II ABSTRACT The greatest and most persistent lag in academic achievement in the United States is between African American males and all other groups of students. This study was designed to investigate one possible approach to ameliorating the gap: a school-based mentoring program that helps African American males internalize a positive racial-ethnic identity regarding their academic-self competency and possible future-selves. This study 1) examined the quality of 6th grade African American young males experience in a school-based mentoring program, 2) examined the impact of the program in terms of participants’ racial-ethnic identities in their grade point averages, academic achievement, behavior, academic self-efficacy, and possible future selves. Qualitative findings showed the mentees enjoyed the mentoring program as it allowed for meaningful interactions with guest speakers and co-learning with classmates. Academic self-efficacy findings revealed the mentees grew in their understanding that academic work may be rigorous, but persistence is key. For possible future-selves, the mentees were motivated to pursue different career-paths, believed that more things were possible in life, along with being prompted to take school more seriously. Quantitative results showed there were positive increases in the mentees’ perception of their racial ethnic-identity and grade point average. There was also statistically significant data in the academic self-efficacy and possible future-selves. The results of an ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference in the mentees’ academic self-efficacy. The results of an ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference in the mentees possible future-selves. Additionally, the mentees’ possible future- selves Cohen’s d test showed a large effect size. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To Jesus Christ — you are worth it. To my amazing wife, Toyin, you are “a real one.” Sweetie, you were the reason why I was able to finish. You “held it down.” My beautiful and lovely daughters, Ifetamilore and Motunrayo — I hope this accomplishment sets a positive example for you. Mom and Dad, the example you set laid the blueprint for me — And much more. My brothers, Folaji and Mide, love y’all — I finally finished. To my committee chair, Dr. Michael W. Smith, you are definitely the man. You have been a loving guide ever since I met you in that undergraduate methods class — I honestly could not have done it without you. I would also like to thank my main man, Dr. Fateye (Fa). Fa, you taught me what it means to work through exhaustion. I love you bro. Mrs. Veronica Joyner — your love, concern, and leadership continue to inspire me. Dr. Jason Watson, you’ve been a true friend over the years. Dr. Kendrick Davis, you were clutch with that quantitative work. Dr. James Degnan, you are an amazing man. I look forward to talking more about our experiences. Jeffers Loperbey, you’re ‘da’ man, I’m thanking you for the encouragement and affirmation. Both Pastor Vincent Stevens and Apostle Stephanie Stevens — you would not let me forget about God during this eight-year journey. Young Irv, you encouraged me. Dr. Bernard X. James, you started this. I saw your example and wanted to be like you. Dr. William Hite, you got “swag.” Thank you for giving me access to you and setting a positive example of what an African American male can hope to achieve. Ms. Melanie Harris, thank you. To all my committee members — I did it, thank you. To Dr. Will Jordan, you were one of the first people who told me I was smart at a time when I didn’t know whether to believe it. And guess what, I believed you! To all who will come after me, remember you are intelligent. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. III ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .........................................................................................................IV LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. VII LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................. VIII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………1 African American Males Lagging Behind………………………………………...1 Reclaiming Identity ............................................................................................. 3 Racial Socialization ............................................................................................. 4 Identity in Crisis .................................................................................................. 6 Teaching, the Beginning Years ............................................................................ 9 The Devalued Education .................................................................................... 10 The Beginnings of the Mentoring Program - A Pilot Study ................................ 13 Rationale for Action Research ........................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ......................................................... 23 Media’s Portrayal of African American Male Masculinity ................................. 24 A Dream Deferred Stereotype Threat ................................................................. 36 Past Attempts .................................................................................................... 37 Mentoring: A Plausible Solution ........................................................................ 42 School-Based Versus Community-Based Mentoring .......................................... 43 Formal Versus Natural Formed Mentoring Relationships ................................... 47 One-to-One Mentoring ...................................................................................... 50 Characteristics of Successful Mentoring Interventions ....................................... 51 Group Mentoring ............................................................................................... 54 Racial Socialization and Improved Outcomes .................................................... 57 Racial-Ethnic Identity ........................................................................................ 59 Racial-Ethnic Identity as a Construct ................................................................. 61 Connectedness ................................................................................................... 61 Embedded Achievement .................................................................................... 62 Awareness of Racism ........................................................................................ 64 Possible Selves…………………………………………………………………...65 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................. 67 Research Questions ........................................................................................... 67 Methodological Approach ................................................................................. 68 Research Design ................................................................................................ 70 Setting and Participants ..................................................................................... 71 Recruitment Methods ........................................................................................ 73 Proposed Intervention Study .............................................................................. 75 Data Collection .................................................................................................. 78 Data Analysis .................................................................................................... 86 V CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ............................................................. 88 Research Question 1: Mentees’ Experience........................................................ 90 Research Question 2a: Impacting the Racial Ethnic Identity of Mentees ............ 96 Research Question 2b: Impacting the Academic Achievement of Mentees ....... 112 Research Question 2c: Impacting the Behavior of the Mentees ........................ 115 Research Question 2d: Impacting the Academic Self-Concept of the Mentees . 116 Research Question 2e: Impacting the Possible Future-Self Concept ................. 121 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION .................................................................................... 128 Implications for Practice ................................................................................... 129 Implications for Research..................................................................................... 135 Closing ............................................................................................................
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