AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE TEACHER SHORTAGE
Introduction to the Problem and Study Purpose
The U.S. Department of Education, 2000, reported that there is a disparity between the numbers of teachers of color and the numbers of students of color. Research has concluded that Black and other minority role models for minority and majority students is important. These role models effect a child's impression regarding what they can become and the minority teacher also brings an inherent comprehension regarding the cultural experiences of minority students. The Black teacher is able to understand and communicate with students of color and they are able to assist majority teachers regarding this ability (Lewis, 2000). The problem is that there is a lack of needed minority teachers, implying the importance of understanding why the African American male is not entering the teaching profession.
The purpose of this research paper is to explore the problem of male African American teacher shortage. Specifically the following research question is answered: Why are African American males not entering the teaching profession?
The procedures used to conduct this research paper include a review of relevant literature. The sources used for this review included peer-review journal articles from several data bases (Proquest, Infotrac, U.S. Department of Education, and ERIC) and articles from the U.S. Department of Education published on the Eric database. The criteria used to select the sources was as follows: all articles must be from academic or professional sources, must provide information regarding the proposed topic, and must reflect the current state of affairs (published within the last 5 years).
The following review of the literature presents findings related to the topic of African American male teacher shortage. The following issues are included in this discussion: supply and demand of minority teachers, reasons for Africa...