In Their Own Voice: The Pathways, Perceptions, and Influences of African American Males in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at Selected Historically Black Institutions

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that promote African American male student persistence, academic achievement, and degree attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Many African-American males demonstrate deficit mathematics skills on performance and standardized tests and are least likely to acquire essential academic skills and persistence to pursuit post-secondary STEM majors (Global Knowledge, 2012; McKinsey, 2009). Rather than focus on the characteristics that have prevented African American males from acquiring rigorous science and mathematics content to pursue STEM, Harper (2010) developed an antideficit conceptual framework and conducted a qualitative study to explore how students of color successfully navigate and persist through higher education in a STEM discipline.;Based on Harper's (2010) Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework, this study expands the research and uses the STEM Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework Inventory (STEM ADAFI) to explore familial, school, post-secondary, and self-efficacy factors that enhance academic outcomes for African American males who are pursuing v STEM undergraduate degrees. Centered on the hypotheses that there is a correlation between pre-collegiate experiences of African American males and their selection of STEM as a major, the researcher used a quantitative method to determine the factors that promote African American male persistence through the STEM education pipeline.;The participants in the study are African American male students enrolled in selected Historically Black Institutions in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Using a 99 item Likert-scale survey, the researcher analyzed student responses related to familial, K- 12 instruction, K-12 co-curricular, post-secondary co-curricular and self-efficacy experiences to identify independent variables impact on STEM degree attainment. The findings from the STEM ADAFI were used to examine Harper's (2010) qualitative conceptualization of his Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework. This study will contribute to the growing body of empirical research on the positive contributors that enhance African American male achievement in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. The research is useful for education leaders and parents by providing recommendations for socio-cultural supports and instructional strategies to assist African American male students in their pursuit of a STEM career.