UCLA

Too often educators are unable or unwilling to see the potential Black males have as students, and often view these young men as inhuman or uneducable. More specifically, teachers often ignore or underestimate that Black males experience education in a manner unlike their peers due to the historical construction of what it means to be a Black male. Given that K-12 students and teachers spend a significant amount of time together the teaching that occurs in classrooms can have a significant impact on student success within schools. What is often missing, not offered, not valued, or in need of re-emphasizing within the field of educational research is the need for Black males to theorize teaching. It is important to understand the type of pedagogical strategies that these young men believe will enrich their classroom experiences, which serves as the impetus for this exploratory study that seeks to answer how do Black males theorize (think, explain, and develop a set of ideas) notions of teaching. To develop a collective understanding of Black male students’ perceptions of effective teaching, a social constructivist qualitative research method was implemented. More specifically a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve Black male students who attended three urban high schools in southern California. Each of the interviews conducted were audio-taped and transcribed and lasted approximately 60 to 70 minutes. Three research questions that guided the study were: What are Black male secondary students’ perceptions of effective teaching? What are the strategies, approaches, and methods of teaching that Black male students describe that? What can teachers, researchers, and policymakers learn from Black male students’ understanding of effective teaching to better serve this student group in the classroom? Key findings revealed that the participants can articulate their thoughts about teaching with specificity by providing definitions of teaching, strategies that enhance their learning, and distinguishing between the act (teaching) and the person (the teacher). Moreover, too often the participants questioned the willingness of teachers to want to give their best instruction, make positive connections, and form relationships that will benefit their classroom success.