Few and Far Between: Experiences, Motivations, and Recruitment of Black Male Science Teachers

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 4:20 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding BIPOC Teacher Experiences to Support Recruitment and Retention (Table 37)

Abstract

The underrepresentation of Black men in the teaching profession is well-documented in educational research. Efforts exist to recruit Black men, however, oppressive expectations and attrition rates suppress progress toward teacher diversity. Within Science Education, Black male educators are further marginalized by reductive myths perpetuated in sociopolitical discourse, overgeneralizing their expression and performance. These stereotypes mirror assumptions made about Black Boys and are reinforced in schools through social interactions, teacher education, and racial aggression. This study uses Critical Race theory to share counter-narratives of three Black Male Science Teachers to expand literature across subject and grade levels, by exploring the life stories, motivations, and teacher education experiences of Black men that teach science in urban public secondary schools.

Author

• Joshua W. Modeste, Teachers College, Columbia University