Factors that influence college persistence by African-American men who have had encounters with the criminal justice system

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological research study was to examine internal and external factors that had an influence on persistence through graduation or transfer of African American men who had been involved with the criminal justice system. Internal factors are background characteristics of the students, and external factors are the services and support offered by the college and its personnel. The theoretical framework for this study is social l earning and self-efficacy theory. Research has demonstrated that self - efficacy is an important aspect of human development in the cognitive and functioning aspects of individuals. A total of 12 African American men who had had contact with the criminal justice system and were enrolled at an urban community college participated in the study. They were interviewed on the campus of the community college. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Nvivo 12. Eleven themes emerged from the interview data: encouragement, self-enrichment, social perception, career aspirations, improved decision-making, school resources, family support, family matters, lack of resources, family and friends, and t seclusion. A major finding of this study was the role of family in helping African American men attend college and persist through graduation. Their support and encouragement were major factors in their success. These themes aligned with the participants’ responses that having a higher level of education, making better choices, and believing that academic achievement could change the stigma of African American males in a social context. The findings of the qualitative study indicated that self-efficacy theory provided a theoretical foundation that was a significant aspect of African American males’ understanding that an education was needed to be successful and achieve their goals. The findings helped narrow the gap in the literature regarding the role of education in helping reduce recidivism and help African American men become productive members of society.