The Leak in the Pipeline: Retaining African American Male Teachers in K-12 Education

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of African American male teachers by studying retention efforts, organizational conditions that undermine efforts and related experiences in order to gain insight on why African American male teachers are leaving the field of education at rates higher than other teacher groups. Using the Critical Race Theory framework, two guiding research questions explored the experiences of African American male teachers: What are the lived experiences of African American male teachers? What experiences contribute to African American male teachers remaining in education? The Leak in the Pipeline: Retaining African American Male Teachers in K–12 Education examines the experiences of ten African American male teachers with six or more years of teaching experience currently employed in K–12 public schools. This analysis applies an interpretive phenomenological approach to the semi-structured interviews. The coded responses were divided into six categories and then merged into two major themes: transform transference and double consciousness. The findings revealed reasons African American male teachers leave the field of education and retention strategies. The study concludes with implications for school districts, colleges of education, and public policy and recommendations for future research.