Exploring Teachers' and Black Male Students' Perceptions of Intelligence

by Williams, Patrick Anthony

This study explored teachers perceptions of intelligence of 11th-grade Black male students and how students themselves perceived their own intelligence in light of Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligence. Qualitative research methods were used to gain novel understanding of the students and teachers feelings, and perceptions as outlined in the research questions. Two versions of ecological systems theory provided the underpinnings for the framework of this study: 1) Brönfenbrenners Ecological Systems Theory, and 2) Spencers PVEST (Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory) model, which is an adaptation of the ecology model to Black students in the United States. In a large urban school district in the Southeast section of the United States, twenty-six students completed an online survey of Gardners Multiple Intelligences. Seven Black male students were selected and interviewed along with ten of their teachers. The study found that despite the negative stereotypes toward Black males by society, the Black male students in this study interpreted intelligence to be multifaceted and perceived themselves as intelligent Black males. The teachers of the Black male students perceived them as intelligent and also interpreted intelligence to be multifaceted. The Black male students were resilient in debunking the idea that Black males were not considered intelligent in a society where negative Black male stereotypes abound.