How the Psychosocial Factors of Academic Preparedness and Self-Concept Influence Success for African American Males in a Community Colleg

The Center for Community College Engagement stated that African American males have the same aspirations of earning a degree as other demographics. This study, in conjunction with earlier research on the how psychosocial factors affect the ability of African American males to set personal goals, touched upon the issue of why some African American males persist from similar backgrounds. Studies focused on the issue of college retention for African American males. The community college system is facing obstacles to retaining and graduating African American males. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive case study was to explore how the psychosocial factors of academic preparedness and self-concept influence the ability of 15 low income, first-generation African American males to set goals and graduate from a community college, located in a northern Ohio city. Self-determination theory (SDT) was the theoretical lens that informed this study. It was used because of its three major components: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The research questions sought to understand the beliefs and perceptions of the psychosocial factors of academic preparedness and self-concept and how they affect low income, first-generation African American males' ability to set goals to graduate from community college. Findings from the study indicated that African American males in a community college prefer to feel welcomed and have a family-style environment that is nurturing. There is also a need to promote personal responsibility and future studies should use multiple institutions.