Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

African American student academic performance is a topic of much concern in the U.S. (Allen, 1992; Cokley, 2000, 2002, 2003; Cokley & Moore, 2007; Cokley et al., 2015; Harper et al., 2012; Harper, 2015; Steele, 1992). Thus, the task of closing the academic achievement gap between Black and White students is a worthy assignment undertaken by many researchers. The purpose of this study is to perform a qualitative inquiry to learn more about the African American male psychological motivation of self-esteem, racial identity, and academic self-concept. Literature about African American student self-esteem and self-concept exists yet based on my observations, it appears that few studies focus solely on either of these constructs for African American men. (Allen, 1992; Awad, 2007; Black & Allen, 2017; Cokley, 2000, 2002, 2003; Cokley & Moore, 2007; Cokley et al., 2015; Harper, 2015; Steele, 1992; Styles, 2017). Thus, this studys purpose includes examining the African American male psychological motivation of self-esteem, racial identity, and academic self-concept. The overall goal of this study was to perform a qualitative study to determine if legitimate relationships exist between self-esteem, racial identity, and academic self-concept and if these relationships contribute to Black male educational attainment. This study uncovered relationships between the four psychological constructs: academic self-concept, self-esteem, racial identity, and academic performance. This study pursued relationships which could be relevant to ideas and solutions for Black male higher education students (Allen, 1992; Awad, 2007; Black & Allen, 2017; Cokley, 2000, 2002, 2003; Cokley & Moore, 2007; Cokley et al, 2015; Harper, 2015). Studying these constructs included how Black mens educational achievement is influenced by discriminatory issues, which are covered in the literature. Thus, findings may show how Black men confront discrimination in their quest to succeed in college (Brundage, 2020; Cappelli, 2020; Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys, 2013). It is important to grasp better how Black male students succeed in higher education environments where perceptions of them may be compromised by societys uninformed tainted depiction of Black males. Though Black male students continue to achieve, equitable approaches needed to close the achievement gap between Black and White male students are still sought. Though the life of this dilemma has aged, barriers that impact it have also. Thus, some may anticipate a more significant role for higher education to play in providing more equitable services to Black male students, providing greater leadership in actively uncovering Black male student needs, and then addressing them. Moreover, the studys findings indicate that growth mindset may possess promising potential in impacting what motivates Black male students to achieve despite the barriers they face. Yet, there is much more to learn which leaves a need for further research on this topic.

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