Factors associated with academic achievement in mathematics among African American males in a four-year educational institution

The paucity of African American males in mathematics and other STEM fields is a concern that has generated much discussion. This research builds upon previous studies of successful African American males in the mathematics pipeline and seeks to address this problem by examining those factors that influence the mathematics success of African American male students in college. The research questions are: (1) What is the relationship between college mathematics GPA and self-concept for African American males? (2) What is the relationship between high school general GPA and undergraduate mathematics GPA for African American males? (3) What is the relationship between educational aspirations and college mathematics GPA for African American males? (4) How do African American men describe the relationship between their mathematics experiences in high school and their performance in college mathematics? (5) How do African American men describe the experiences in high school (and prior) that helped to prepare them for their college mathematics success? In order to answer these questions, quantitative and qualitative methods were used.;A quantitative study consisting of three surveys was administered to 105 undergraduates of a four-year CUNY college. An analysis of the results of this survey showed for African American males, no statistical significant linear relationship between college mathematics GPA and self-concept; a statistically significant positive linear relationship between the high school general GPA and the undergraduate mathematics GPA; and a multiple linear regression model that indicated high school GPA and college aspirations as predictors for college mathematics GPA to be statistically significant.;A qualitative study consisting of eight volunteers from the initial group of 105 participants concluded that the following factors were associated with the success of African-American men in a four-year institution: (a) pre-college experiences, (b) strong familial encouragement, (c) personal motivation, (d) meaningful academic experiences, and (e) meaningful enrichment programs.