Learning a Trade: Increasing Success Rates of African American Males in Gateway English and Math Courses in Trade Programs at Wilson Community College

Abstract

This participatory action research (PAR) study examines the challenges and barriers experienced by African American male students enrolled in select trade programs at Wilson Community College, how those challenges and barriers impact the success rates of these students in gateway English and math courses required for their program, and what type of intervention strategy would be most effective in alleviating the impact of identified challenges and barriers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with faculty advisors for the trade programs, English and math faculty, and African-American male students currently enrolled in the selected trade programs when the study was conducted to obtain data on real and perceived challenges and barriers from both a faculty and student perspective. This study concludes that African American males enrolled in trade programs feel that English and math courses are unnecessary for success in their trade courses and the field. In addition, student participants believed that if assignments in their English and math courses were related to the content taught in the trade programs, they would be engaged and more likely to succeed in these courses. The data obtained during this inquiry was used to develop a tutoring program that addresses the challenges and barriers identified by the student participants that can be proposed for possible implementation at Wilson Community College.