Date

3-10-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Richard Segovia

Keywords

Black Male Students, STEM, Retention, minority retention, Educational Technology, Education and Technology

Disciplines

Higher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the lived experiences of Black male students' use of integrated educational technologies in STEM fields at predominately White institutions of higher education in East Tennessee. The theory guiding this study is Piaget's (1950) theory on constructivism, as it is the framework through which active learning, prior knowledge, and social influences shape students' learning. The central research question addressed in the study is how Black male students experience the use of integrated educational technologies in STEM fields at PWIs of higher education in East Tennessee. The transcendental phenomenological approach is used to study the phenomenon of Black male students' lived experiences while applying epoché through bracketing out all researcher bias and perceptions so that the participants’ experiences tell their story of EdTech use in the STEM classroom. Themes from their lived experiences uncovered and added invaluable data to the research regarding Black male student retention struggles in STEM fields. Findings found that quality course-specific EdTech implementation by faculty provided a richer classroom experience and the traditional LMS only allowed for course and schedule organization, not any pedagogical value. A minimum of Primary data was collected using semi-structured interviews, qualitative questionnaires, and focus groups.

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