Analyzing Black Male Disinterest in Teaching as a Profession

Background: The American teacher workforce has maintained homogeneity while the classroom has become increasingly diverse. One reason for the homogeneity is the educational system’s ineffective attempts at educating Black boys, and subsequently, recruiting and retaining Black male teachers. Academia’s over-utilization of deficit frameworks within investigations of this phenomenon have managed to portray the overall Black male educational experience as negative. Purpose: Giving Black males the opportunity to articulate their disinterest in teaching is the primary goal of this study. By examining the effect of educational experience upon the Black male narrative, the researcher can substantiate current claims of academia or report counternarrative(s) to predetermined explanations used by academia to explain the shortage of Black male teachers. Methods: A survey of thirty (30) Black men between the ages of 18 and 30 was conducted. Results were tabulated and used to develop an interview protocol for a subsequent focus group. After data analysis, three follow-up interviews were conducted to authenticate themes discovered within the data analysis. The narratives of those interviewed were used to either validate or counter findings. Results: Results show that Black male teachers are vital to students inside and outside of the classroom. While many shared similar stories, the Black male educational experience is comprehensive in nature, contrary to popular narratives. While salary was identified as a reason for their disinterest, negative educational experiences along with negative perceptions of current policies and pedagogical approaches were considered to be as important to their decision making as potential salary.