Abstract
The issue of education is becoming increasingly important in the highly competitive realm of the XXI century. Having a degree is a mandatory requirement for almost any job applicant. The representatives of African American communities, however, especially women in their forties and fifties, seem to have been having issues with obtaining a degree. By isolating the social and economic facts that affect the deplorable statistics of education among African American women of 40–50 years old, one can possibly find a viable solution to the problem.
Introduction: African American Women in Education
The issue of higher education is becoming increasingly significant for the information society of the XXI century (Loubert, 2012). Because of the rising demands and a number of social factors affecting their chances to attain higher education, African American women in their 40s and 50s suffer considerable stress, not to mention the fact that the rates of unemployment among the aforementioned part of the U.S. demographics have gone out of proportions (Thomas, Love, Roan-Belle, Tyler & Brown, 2009). Defining the key factors affecting the education choices of African American women will help solve the problem (Mokhele, 2013).
Study Materials: Questionnaires and the Key Participants
In the course of the research, twenty-five participants, which are going to be African American women in their 40s and 50s, will be provided with questionnaires, in which they will answer ten questions regarding their education, family, social and economic background, as well as their attitude towards getting a degree in general (Kim, 2011).
Preparing the Materials: In Search for Interviewees
The choice of a research method is the pivoting part of writing any paper – there can be no possible doubt about it. For this research to provide accurate data, which can be interpreted relatively easily and contribute to answering the research question, it will be most reasonable to use the random sampling method (Kallet, 2004, p. 1230). The given decision was predetermined by the fact that random sampling allows for obtaining relatively diverse data and, therefore, getting results that are close to the national average.
Research Protocol and Its Major Points: Description
The research protocol will contain two key sections, i.e., general information about the person provided with a questionnaire (including age, education, job, family status, etc.) and the participant’s response to the questions offered to her. The list with questions will be provided in the attachment as a separate element of the research.
Measurements and Calculations: Defining the Strategy
In the process of the research, the average number of African American women getting a higher education will be calculated, which will help evaluate the scale of the problem concerning the lack of women with a degree among African Americans. As has been mentioned above, questionnaires will serve as the key tool for data collection. Therefore, it will be necessary to use mathematical and statistical analysis in order to define the relationships between the independent and dependent variables of the research. In addition, it will be required to develop a scale with the help of which the questionnaire results can be assessed.
Locating the Statistical Tests for Research Data Analysis
The statistical tests will help define the standard mean and the p-value of the data acquired in the course of the research. With the help of the aforementioned information, it will be easy to isolate the factors that affect the education-related endeavors of African American women in general and the forty- and fifty-year-old ones in particular. Thus, the key reasons for the African American female students to terminate their studies and refuse the opportunity to continue their academic and professional progress will be defined.
Reference List
Kallet, R. H. (2004). How to write the methods section of a research paper. Respiratory Care 49(10), 1229–1232.
Kim, M. M. (2011). Early career earnings of African American students: The impact of attendance at historically Black versus White colleges and universities. The Journal of Negro Education, 80(4), 505-520.
Loubert, L. (2012). The plight of African American women: Employed and unemployed. Review of Black Political Economy, 39(4), 373-380.
Mokhele, M. (2013). Reflections of Black women academics at South African universities: A narrative case study. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 4(3), 611-619.
Thomas, D. M., Love, K. M., Roan-Belle, C., Tyler, K. M., & Brown, C. L. (2009). The education of African American girls and women: Past to present. The Journal of Negro Education, 78(2), 159-171.