Underrepresentation of Black Males in Gifted Education: A Phenomenology Study of the Underrepresentation of Black Males in Gifted Education

The underrepresentation of Black males in gifted education is an issue that all educators acknowledge and understand. What we are less clear on is the influential factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of Black males in gifted education. Therefore, this research will focus on the phenomenology of gifted coordinators and administrators and their subjective experiences as students and educational leaders and how those perceptions and experiences impact systemic educational processes in the identification and selection process of gifted students. A phenomenological approach is utilized to highlight the voices and personal experiences of the practitioners who are on the ground as street level bureaucrats that directly impact the identification and selection process of gifted students and how their involvement influences the representation of Black males in gifted education programs