Intersectionality of Black Male Identity With Policies and Practices in Teaching and Teacher Education

• In Event: 25.040 - Teaching and Teacher Education Intersectionalities With Race, Class, and Gender: Movement Toward Equity in Education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper presentation is to provide a research-based perspective as to how the construction of Black male identity intersects with policies and practices in teaching and teacher education and the effect this has on that particular student demographic. Data was collected from a school district in the eastern U.S. with a high number of Black male students. Data included demographic information, analyses of district and school policies, and observational data in school classrooms. Results indicated that when Black males are proactively supported in their schooling experiences with teacher-mentors, academic engagement increased and disciplinary referrals decreased. The paper includes examples where schools have taken a proactive strategies to support the educational experience and identity of Black males. These findings pointed to the importance of teacher education – both inservice and preservice – that attends to the social construction of a Black male identity in the U.S., especially for how this can impact the educational and life opportunities of Black males. Constructive teacher education practices are identified and described.

Author

• Marlon C. James, Texas A&M University - College Station