From Roots to Star Trek: A Case Study on Successful Persistence of African American Male Engineering Majors

The United States is competing on a global level for jobs in the STEM fields but retention and graduation rates in the engineering disciplines are lower than desired. African American males make up 5 % of the population of American colleges and universities (Strayhorn, 2010) and many of those pursuing an engineering degree often are not academically prepared for a career in engineering. There are African American males who have successfully persisted in engineering; however, limited research is provided about the success of these African American males and their experiences in engineering programs. The purpose of this study was to understand factors that impact successful persistence of African American male engineering majors at a predominantly White institution. Critical Race Theory was used as a framework to gain a broader scope of the underlying themes interwoven into the fabric of American society and a better understanding of the perceptions about African American male engineering majors. A qualitative case study was conducted to understand real-world phenomena through the experiences of successful African American male engineering majors. Using constant comparative analysis technique, two major themes were identified: Overcoming challenges and social identity. Early academic experiences, developing a positive identity, and a connection to others experiencing similar challenges were found to contribute to successful persistence