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A phenomenological study of exploring lived experiences of African American male students with a social emotional learning curriculum component in a high poverty urban high school
Dissertation   Open access

A phenomenological study of exploring lived experiences of African American male students with a social emotional learning curriculum component in a high poverty urban high school

Kareem Brown
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Sep 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001834
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Abstract

African American young men--Education African American high school students Education, Urban--Curricula
African American males face a myriad of challenges resulting in lower graduation rates, lower testing scores on national testing, and higher levels of suspension and special education. This qualitative study explored the impact of social emotional learning (SEL) on African American high school age males, specifically to establish the impacts of an SEL curriculum and its components on the decision making among African American males in school but also within the communities they live. Exploring the issues and their root causes within urban communities and how they stretch into K-12 educational experiences and extends to the criminal justice system, the study involved a qualitative approach to understand the experiences of the target population. As a result, it provides insight into how African American males from high poverty inner-city environments view their experiences with SEL components as part of a high school curriculum. Participants provided a first-person view of the influence of SEL over their self-control and decision making in high school and their community. They attended an inner-city school where the population is 98% African American students. They participated in semi-structured interviews which are relevant to understand how to shape SEL curriculum for this population and inform community stakeholders. The results of this study showed that when schools invest money into SEL curriculum and culturally competent teachers. Students will have better relationships with educators and the overall school community, which will produce positive gains for high school age African American males. Keywords: SEL, African American males, outcomes, high school, education

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