There is existing research describing the education gap among African American male students matriculating to post-secondary educational institutions. Research shows that the role teachers play in moving students from high school to college (or other post-secondary educational institutions) is a vital one. However, little is known about how African American males understand the impact of their teachers on their decisions to attend college. This descriptive qualitative study utilized a constructivist approach to understand the experiences of African American males. Forty participants were interviewed using open-ended inquiry to construct themes inductively. The commentaries, taken directly from the words of the participants, served as the means by which their beliefs were illustrated. This study's findings demonstrated that teachers of African American males often did not provide the encouragement, knowledge, or skills necessary for matriculation. Rather, participants resorted to other means to obtain the assistance they needed to successfully matriculate. The theoretical and practical implications for students, educators, and policymakers will be discussed in the final chapter of this study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]