Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

William Edmonds

Committee Member

Dana Mills

Keywords

discipline, racial discrimination, disproportionality, zero tolerance policy, African American students

Abstract

Among student groups within American public schools to date, Black males continue to be one of the most marginalized student groups in America. In spite of all the documented research findings that describe the problem from a research, policy, and practice standpoint, and given the plethora of well-documented knowledge of structural patterns identified and labeled as zero-tolerance policies and/or the school-to-prison pipeline, in conjunction with school reform attempts, Black males remain the largest segment of students who are academically discouraged and disproportionally affected by discipline in American public schools. Among the abundance of academic literature that describes the academic marginalization of Black males or focuses on the disparities among Black male students, there is scant information that investigates how Black males view themselves within the context of these substantial volumes of disparaging research findings.

A phenomenological design provided a descriptive and comprehensive understanding of the participants’ lived experiences that captured the perspectives for analysis. The participants were adult Black males who are former students at American public schools and have experienced U.S. public school discipline. This study sought out Black male adults ages 25 or older who had dropped out of high school at 15 or 16 years of age and had later earned a General Educational Development certificate. There was a single instrument used for data collection in this study. The interview protocol of this study consisted of open-ended questions. The interview protocol was created based on the purposeful sample criteria. Interview conversations were recorded, along with notes taken, and data were coded and transcribed later. It was the researcher’s goal to have participants provide narratives to produce mental pictures of their experiences involving disciplinary experiences. This type of data analysis required a methodical collection of interviewed testimonies recorded for future coding to identify mutually exclusive themes.

Further collection of empirical experiences from America’s most vulnerable population may in tandem empower a voiceless underclass, while signaling alarm of the unintended consequences America will one day have to face if a change in course is not enacted. Continued research and dialogue are crucial for dismantling persistent stereotypes and fostering a more inclusive, more understanding, and less apathetic society.

Download
Share Feedback

Share

COinS