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.
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