Date of Award
1-16-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Timberly Baker
Second Advisor
Donna Madison-Bell
Committee Members
Allison Paolini; Donna Madison-Bell; Timberly Baker
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2024 H36
Abstract
This qualitative instrumental case study aimed to examine the factors that influence the decision of African American males who graduated from high-poverty high schools in New York City and decided not to attend college. A qualitative instrumental case study research design was done through the use of one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with 12 African American males who graduated from urban, high-poverty high schools in New York City between 2018 and 2023. Purposive and snowball sampling of 12 African American male alumni were utilized in this study, and the data source was alumni from urban, high-poverty high schools in New York City. Critical Theory was used as the theoretical framework for this study, providing a language and a lens to examine the experiences of African American males who decided not to attend college after graduating from urban, high-poverty high schools in New York City. The data was collected virtually, and six themes emerged from the study that highlighted the participants’ perceived experiences of attending an urban, high-poverty high school in New York City and how it influenced their decision not to attend college once they graduated. The six themes from the study were financial struggles, knowledgeable and supportive teachers, not being academically prepared for college, lack of exposure to a college-going culture, the negative impact of living in a high-poverty area, and the negative impact of graduating from a high-poverty high school. This study is essential to educational practitioners in America because it highlights the factors that cause African American males not to attend college after they graduate from urban, high-poverty high schools in New York City. Keywords: African American males, academic preparation, college-going culture, financial issues, knowledgeable and supportive teachers, student perceptions, urban, high-poverty high schools
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Hamilton, Rawle, "African American Males' Perceptions of Factors Affecting Their Decision to Not Attend College After Graduating from High School: A Qualitative Instrumental Case Study" (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1030.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1030
