Unlocking the early impact : a multiple case study on the underrepresentation of Black men as early childhood educators—exploring their career choice, retention, long-term sustainability, and influence on Black students.

Within the realm of education, the pervasive underrepresentation plagues Black male educators, with stark implications for students and the teaching profession. This issue significantly impacts early childhood education because female educators predominantly staff it, while the presence of Black male teachers in this field is quite limited. This scarcity has significant consequences, as young Black children, especially Black boys, often lack access to role models who share their racial identity, negatively impacting their academic and socio-emotional development. Furthermore, Black male educators have a unique understanding of the challenges faced by Black students, but they often experience isolation due to a lack of support and community. In states like Texas, the challenges of Black students are exacerbated, where many Black children live in poverty. Therefore, with this study, I aimed to investigate the challenges Black male early childhood educators face in Texas to enhance their recruitment, development, and retention, thereby improving the educational experiences of Black children and Black male early education educators. In this multiple case study, I incorporated the data collection methods of one-on-one interviews, focus groups, journal entries, mentorship questionnaires, and educational biographies. The study focused on three Black male early childhood educators in central Texas and utilized Burns' (1978) transformational leadership theoretical framework. Through these methods, I sought to provide insights into the lived experiences of three Black male early childhood educators, their encounters with inequities within their roles, and their perspectives on the impact of their experiences, motivations, and interactions with students. This study resulted in six key findings from the experiences of the three Black male early childhood educator participants. After considering other career options, they entered the field. Participants encountered retention challenges from feeling undervalued and had to depend on community, self-care, and student relationships for sustainability. They emphasized authenticity in their interactions with students, underscored the significance of Black role models, and employed various engagement strategies to connect with their students as leaders in the field. These findings established the foundation for vital support systems for future Black male early childhood educators.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Cummings-Lewis, E. Nicole, 1984-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Kaul, Corina R., 1969-

• Black male educators.
• Early childhood education.
• Retention.
• Sustainability.
• Transformational leadership theory.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/12930

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/12930