Toward a conceptual model: African-American male students' motivation, persistence and success in community colleges

Abstract

Over the past three decades, the social, educational and economic outcomes for African- American males have been more systemically devastating than the outcomes for any racial, ethnic or gender group. In 2009/10, the national high school graduation rate for African- American male (AAM) students was 52% while the graduation rate for Caucasian male students was 78%. On average, AAMs are more likely to attend the most segregated and least resourced public schools. In most states, the stratification of school quality works to minimize educational opportunities specifically for African-American students. In 2012, AAM students made up 4% of the currently enrolled male students in engineering according to the National Science Foundation (2012). AAM students often begin their higher education journey at community colleges. According to the 2011 American Association of Community Colleges report, 44% of African-American students attend community colleges. Many community college students hope to transfer into a four-year institution to complete a baccalaureate degree. Community colleges provide commendable open-door democratic services for any student to achieve a higher education. However, the community colleges are often criticized for serving as a device that perpetuates social inequality for AAM students1,2,3,4. There is a desire and determination to facilitate student success in community colleges. That being acknowledged, it is hard to miss the deficit lens through which AAM student populations are viewed. They are often portrayed as victims, blamed for their lack of success, persistence to degree, or not transferring to a four-year institution, or portrayed as academically underprepared and require taking academic remediation5,6. The goal of this work is to develop a conceptual model to describe African-American male students' motivation, persistence, and academic success in community colleges. This model will include academic, institutional, psychological, and personal factors that may positively and negatively impact the students' academic experiences. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2014.