ACCEPTANCE This dissertation, THE INFLUENCE OF ADULT MENTORS ON MY LIFE: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHY was prepared under the direction of the candidate’s Dissertation Committee. It is accepted by the committee members in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the School of Education, Concordia University Irvine. ____________________________________ Mary Hopewell, Ed.D. Committee Chair ______________________________________ Dwight Doering, Ph.D. Committee Member ______________________________________ Cheryl Williams, Ph.D. Committee Member The Dissertation Committee, the Dean, and Executive Director of the Doctor of Education Program of the School of Education, as representatives of the faculty, certify that this dissertation has met all standards of excellence and scholarship as determined by the faculty. _____________________________________ Kent Schlichtemeier, Ed.D. Dean _ ___________________________________ Dwight Doering, Ph.D. Executive Director COPYRIGHT PERMISSION AGREEMENT Concordia University Library 1530 Concordia West Irvine, CA 92612 www.cui.edu/library [email protected] I, Andre L. Phillips, warrant that I have the authority to act on any copyright-related matters for the work, THE INFLUENCE OF ADULT MENTORS ON MY LIFE: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHY, dated May 4, 2019 to be included in the Concordia University Library repository, and as such have the right to grant permission to digitize, republish and use the said work in all media now known or hereafter devised. I grant to the Concordia University Library the nonexclusive worldwide rights to digitize, publish, exhibit, preserve, and use the work in any way that furthers the educational, research and public service purposes of the Concordia University. This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of California. This Agreement expresses the complete understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes all prior representations and understandings. ACCESS RESTRICTIONS My electronic thesis or dissertation can be made accessible via the Concordia University Library repository with the following status (select one): X Option 1: Provide open access to my electronic thesis or dissertation on the internet □ Option 2: Place an embargo on access to my electronic thesis or dissertation for a given period from date of submission (select one): □ 6 months □ 1 year □ 3 years Permission Granted By: _____Andre L. Phillips_____ _____________________________________ Candidate’s Name (as appears in academic records) Signature of Candidate 537 Henley Parkway__________ ______________________________________3/29/19 Address Date 209-968-9043_____________ _________ Patterson, CA 95363________ Phone Number or E-mail address City/State/Zip VITA Andre L. Phillips ADDRESS 537 Henley Parkway Patterson, CA 95363 [email protected] EDUCATION Ed.D. 2019 Concordia University Irvine Educational Leadership MA 2006 California State University of Sacramento Special Education BA 1988 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Psychology PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2012 - Current Principal Amos Alonzo Stagg High School Stockton Unified School District 2009-2012 Assistant Principal Benjamin Franklin High School Stockton Unified School District 2007-2009 Assistant Principal Thomas Edison High School Stockton Unified School District 2001-2007 Special Education Teacher Amos Alonzo Stagg High School Stockton Unified School District THE INFLUENCE OF ADULT MENTORS ON MY LIFE: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHY by Andre Lamar Phillips A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership May 4, 2019 School of Education Concordia University Irvine ABSTRACT There have been numerous discussions surrounding the issues African-American males face in schools today, many specifically addressing the “achievement gap” between Black and White students. Research indicates that mentoring programs can be invaluable in addressing the risks that youths face today. The study explored and utilized a reflexive investigation of the researcher’s life experiences as a mentee, and of his mentors’ motivation to support him throughout his teenager hood, his collegiate and Olympic years, and as an educator. This study is relevant because it explores the positive influence that adult mentors have on the attitudes, confidence, and school connectedness for African-American teen males. The attention to mentoring incorporated an understanding of the relationship between adult male mentors and at- risk African-American high school males. This dissertation uses autoethnography as the methodology. The study centers on two theoretical frameworks to guide this inquiry: developmental and instrumental mentoring approaches. Memory, interviews, reflective journal, and an attitude survey serve as supporting data sources. The research questions guiding this dissertation are as follows: 1. What motivated my mentors to support me in my academic, athletic, and educational journeys? 2. How have relationships with my adult mentors influenced my attitude, confidence, and sense of worth during my youth, collegiate and Olympic years, and as an educator? 3. What have I learned about how to mentor African-American male youths from my relationships with adult mentors? i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................. i LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 5 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................ 9 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................................. 12 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 13 Theoretical Frameworks ............................................................................................................ 13 Developmental Approach ...................................................................................................... 13 Instrumental Mentoring ......................................................................................................... 14 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................................... 15 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................................... 16 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 17 Delimitations ............................................................................................................................. 17 Organization of the Study ......................................................................................................... 17 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ....................................................................... 19 ii Academic Challenges Among African-American Male Youths ............................................... 19 Poverty ................................................................................................................................... 20 School Violence ..................................................................................................................... 21 Self-Esteem/Cultural Identity ................................................................................................ 21 Teacher Expectation and Perceptions .................................................................................... 21 Parental Involvement ............................................................................................................. 21 Mentorship Relationships .......................................................................................................... 22 Mentoring Programs .................................................................................................................. 25 Field-Based Mentoring Programs .......................................................................................... 25 Site-Based/School-Based Mentoring Programs. ................................................................... 27 Theoretical Perspectives ............................................................................................................ 28 Developmental Mentoring ..................................................................................................... 30 Instrumental Mentoring ......................................................................................................... 31 Summary ..................................................................................................................................