Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Terri L. Edwards

Abstract

Elementary school officials have reported difficulty motivating young African American boys to read. It is important that teachers understand why these children have not been motivated to read and create classroom environments that encourage reading motivation. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers' perspectives on best instructional practices for motivating 3rd -grade African American boys to read. The conceptual framework for this study consisted of critical race theory, self-determination theory, and the theory of social constructivism. The research questions focused on teachers' perspectives regarding 3rd -grade African American boys' motivation to read and best instructional practices in reading instruction for these students. Through a purposeful sampling strategy, 10 teachers were invited to participate and share their teaching experiences. The criterion for inclusion was that the participant taught reading to 3rd -grade African American boys. Data were collected from 5 teachers who agreed to participate through semistructured interviews. Recordings of the interviews were transcribed and analyzed using axial coding. Axial coding of the transcribed interview data and thematic analysis revealed 3 overarching themes: (a) best instructional practices, (b) motivation for reading, and (c) classroom resources. Results indicated that different types of instructional practices had influenced the teachers' perspectives on motivating these students to read. This study contributes to positive social change by providing school administrators and educational leaders with knowledge that may be beneficial to the initiation of policies, strategies, and procedures to motivate third-grade African American boys to read.

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