A Phenomenological Study Exploring Shortages of African American Male Teachers in Public Education

This phenomenological research was designed to explore the lived experiences of African American male educators in a mid-Atlantic state through the lens of the phenomenon of shortage of African American male teachers. The overarching question guiding this study addressed the lived experiences of African American male educators in a mid-Atlantic state. The researcher searched for African American male educators’ personal knowledge through their experiences on the African American male teacher shortage phenomenon. The sub questions included (a) What factors attracted African American male educators to choose a career in kindergarten-Grade 12 (K-12) public education? (b) What motivational factors influenced these African American male educators to remain in K-12 public education? (c) What were the barriers to entering and remaining in K-12 public education? A purposive sampling procedure was employed to select participants for the interviews. Interviews were designed to elicit a comprehensive discussion about the experience of being an African American male in K-12 public education. Study participants were African American males who were teaching or had taught in the school district where the researcher attended school, was employed, and had experiences with the phenomenon. The results were shared with the district school personnel and added to the literature on the experience of being an African American male in K-12 public education