Recruiting African American Male Teachers in K-12 Schools: A Case Study in One Urban School District

Date

2012-02-14

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Abstract

A case study of the experiences of six African American male teachers in a southern K-12 school district is presented in this study. The purpose of this study was: 1) to hear the voices of African American male teachers in a selected urban school district; 2) to identify the factors that contribute to their job acceptance decisions; 3) to gain an in-depth understanding of why teachers chose teaching as a profession; 4) to determine and understand the nature of the professional lives of these teachers; and finally, 5) to advance our existing knowledge base in attracting African American males to our nation's classrooms. The data collection process consisted of one-on-one, open-ended interview questions with six highly qualified African American male public school teachers in a K-12 school district in the Southern region of the United States.

The key themes which emerged through data analysis include: (1) nobility associated with the teaching profession; (2) compassion associated with the teaching profession; (3) stability associated with the teaching profession; (4) family and community influences; (5) life experiences and (6) I was not recruited: I chose this district. Ethic of Care and Critical Race theoretical frameworks were the foundation for the study.

Description

Citation