STRUCTURE OF BLACK MALE STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCE

Educational policies and practices have been largely unsuccessful in closing the achievement gap between Black and White students (Schwartz, 2001). This achievement gap is especially problematic for Black students in science (Maton, Hrabrowski, & Schmitt, 2000). Given the fact that the Black/White achievement gap is still an enigma, the purpose of this article is to address the Black female/Black male academic achievement gap in science majors. Addressing barriers that Black male students may experience as college science and engineering majors, this article presents marketing strategies relative to politics, emotional intelligence, and issues with respect to how science teaching, and Black male students' responses to it, are different. Many Black male students may need to experience a paradigm shift, which structures and enhances their science achievement. Paradigm shifts are necessary because exceptional academic ability and motivation are not enough to get Black males from their first year in a science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) major to a bachelor's degree in science and engineering. The conclusions focus on the balance of truth−slippery slopes concerning the confluence of science teachers' further ado and Black male students' theories, methods, and values that position their academic achievement in science and engineering majors.