Blocked Opportunities: African American Students, Academic Achievement, and a "Care"less Culture

• In Event: 16.056 - Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: 16.056-16 - Issues of Race and Gender: African American Students

Abstract

This qualitative, phenomenological study provides insight into the perceptions, beliefs, and experiences that six, twelfth grade students held regarding their experiences from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The purpose of this study was to better understand the experiences they lived and to learn about how these students created racial or ethnic identities. We gained tangible information from six African American students regarding how they might limit their own academic achievement based upon the experiences they have had with teachers, have brought to the forefront the challenges African American students have creating racial identities and how that development can lead to poor academic achievement, and show the need for more awareness and culturally relevant teaching in schools and pre-service teacher preparation.

Authors

• Judy A. Alston, Ashland University

• Bruce Willingham, Ashland University