A Transcendental Phenomenological Study of the Challenges Unique to Black Male Teachers Working in Title I Low-Income Schools in South Carolina

Our entire educational process begins with K-12 as the teachers tasked with providing knowledge and guidance aid students to succeed academically and personally. Teaching in low-income, underserved communities often requires teachers to assume roles and responsibilities in addition to teaching to tend to the basic needs of students. There is a dearth of literature on counseling teachers, and even less on teachers working in this environment and specific populations. The responsibility of depicting positive male representation for students in high-poverty schools and communities can pose unique challenges for Black male teachers. Understanding the lived experiences of Black male teachers has not been explored in South Carolina. This transcendental phenomenological study was explored to describe the unique professional and personal experiences of Black male teachers working in a Title I low-income schools in South Carolina. Through this qualitative transcendental phenomenological research approach, data was analyzed to find the universal themes experienced by all Black male teachers of the phenomenon under study. The goal of this research in this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of Black male teachers working in low-income schools in South Carolina. Implications for counselor education are provided.