2015 - Factors Influencing Black Males’ Preparation for College and Success in STEM Majors: A Mixed Methods Study

Attribution: Strayhorn, Terrell L.
Researchers: Terrell L. Strayhorn
University Affiliation: Ohio State University
Email: strayhorn.3@osu.edu
Research Question:
1) What specific factors influence Black males' preparation for college? 2) What specific factors influence Black males' success in STEM fields?
Published: Yes
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: The Western Journal of Black Studies
Journal Entry: Vol. 39, No. 1, Pp. 45-63
Year: 2015
Findings:
  1. Black males perceived academic self-efficacy was positively correlated with a number of important indicators of academic success including ACT score and college GPA.
  2. Academic self-efficacy was not correlated with Black male’s high school GPA, or sense of belonging.
  3. Initial interests in STEM that were nurtured through formal and informal activities which played a major role in Black males’ entry to STEM fields.
  4. A sense of belonging for Black males in STEM fields seems to take on a heightened importance for some.
  5. Pre-college STEM self-efficacy to concerted cultivation of Black males initial interest and sense of belonging in STEM are important in determining Black Males ‘college readiness and success in STEM.
Scholarship Types: Journal Article Reporting Empirical ResearchKeywords: African AmericanCollege PreparationGPAPreparationSelf-EfficacySTEM MajorSTEM PreparationRegions: WestMethodologies: MixedResearch Designs: InterviewSurveyAnalysis Methods: Descriptive StatisticsHierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM)Interviews Sampling Frame:Black Male College Students
Sampling Types: NonrandomAnalysis Units: StudentData Types: Mixed-Cross Sectional
Data Description:
  • Survey sample was comprised of 140 Black male undergraduate students who were enrolled full-time at large, public HBCUs or PWIs in the US. One third of sample consisted of STEM majors. The interview consisted of 38 Black males who all had declared a STEM major.
  • The dependent variable was self-reported grades which was measured using a four-point scale, ranging from I (mostly D s or lower)to 4 (mostly As).
  • Independent variables of interest in this study measured Black males’ (a) self-reported grit level; (b) perceived confidence in his academic skills, using a 3-item academic self-efficacy scale; (c) pre-college interest in STEM, using a summated scale of items assessing students’ level of interest in science, math, experimentation, among other things; and (d) perceived membership or sense of belonging in academic communities (e.g., STEM majors), all of which have established construct and predictive validity.
Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:Factors related to STEM Readiness
Archives: K-16 STEM Abstracts