Non-Traditional Black Women Teacher Candidates' Experiences at a Traditional HBCU Teacher Education Program

Abstract

The experiences of Black women who are nontraditional students and enrolled in a traditional teacher education program have not been adequately examined in the field of teacher education. Using phenomenology as a methodology, this study explores the experiences of four Black women who are non-traditional teacher candidates at a Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) teacher education program. Framed in Schlossberg transition theory and Black Feminist Theory, the purpose of this study is to understand non-traditional Black women teacher candidates' perspectives for selecting an HBCU teacher education program and how their academic and professional experiences influenced their conceptions of teaching and being a teacher. The findings of this study show the ways the participants were intrinsically motivated to successfully complete the teacher education program to meet their professional goal. Support provided from college professors, peers, family, and coworkers contributed to the participants' motivation and success. The data of this study suggest implications for redesigning the structure of the teacher education program with the goal of recruiting and providing immediate and continual support to non-traditional Black students.