Unpacking The Cultural Relevance Of The High School Experiences Of African-American Males

Despite the vast research on cultural competence and student engagement, little is known about the perspectives of the Black male students who have graduated from any New Jersey public schools This qualitative, phenomenological, multi-case study examines the experiences of Black male students who have been educated predominantly by White educators. The gap in the literature highlights the need for researchers and educators to examine teacher cultural competence from the students’ perspective as it impacted student engagement in the educational process. Student disengagement is a factor in school dropout and a racial/cultural gap exists between Black male students and educators not of color, so it is important for researchers to examine disengagement from the student’s perspective. The results from this study highlighted the relationships between Black male students and White educators and Black male students’ perception of the educational process. The findings suggest the Black male student perception of their White teachers’ lack of cultural competence and the lack of curricular content that includes their culture contributes to the disconnection between Black male students and their White educators and impacts the students experience with disengagement. The potential impact of this study is that recommendations may enhance culturally relevant pedagogy and practice to increase student engagement