Faculty Perceptions, Attitudes, and Behaviors Towards Educating African American Male Students

This study explores the perceptions, attitudes and behaviors faculty have towards educating African American males. In addition, this research explores how African American male undergraduate students perceive faculty. The higher education institution from which the participants are affiliated with is a Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCU], minority serving institution and state affiliated located in the southern state of Pennsylvania. The research consists of a sample of (n=32) faculty and (n=93) African American male [AAM] students who completed a web-based survey that was used in a previous study and edited to meet the needs of the researcher. Data collection occurred during the late in fall semester of 2015 and ended early in the spring semester of 2016. The student participants responded to a 51-item questionnaire and faculty responded to a 34-item questionnaire both questionnaires ended which open-ended questions.;Elements of focus were faculty's perception, teaching styles/behaviors and attitudes. The student's survey focused on faculty's professional and personality characteristics, as well as other attributes that could impact the faculty-student relationship/perception. Results of the frequency analysis indicated that both faculty and students have conscious and unconscious beliefs about each other. Data also revealed, by the large number of neutral responses, that faculty may be unsure about their perceptions towards educating AAM undergraduate students.