Deficit thinking refers to a common way of reasoning and it interferes with the way we construct the issue (Sharma and Portelli, 2014). It always led to stereotyping and prejudging while at the same time marginalizes some people based on inaccurate information. The frameworks presented by Sharma and Portelli (2014 ) have roots in the concept of deficit thinking theory, in which programs designed for dominant cultures are imposed on minority cultures, but disparities in outcomes are considered the fault of the minorities they affect. Sharma and Portelli (2014) argue that after more than 30 years of reform efforts in the education system a persistent achievement gap remains with respect to white middle-class students and their poor, non-white counterparts. The problem stems from the unwillingness of educators to shoulder some of the responsibility for these persistent disparities in educational outcomes.
Culture always influence the way people communicate, as it has some rules that its members must follow. Based on the findings of the study that was conducted by Mostafazadeh, Keshtiaray and Ghulizadeh (2015), there is a growing body of research contributing to the knowledge and practice of cultural communication and intercultural training, though most of the research done in this vein has targeted communication in an international context, as opposed to educational practices. Moreover, what Sharma and Portelli (2014) refer to as “deficit thinking” is existent in society and continues to be mirrored by schools and teachers. There are two assumptions that are particularly relevant to the present study: intercultural communication and professional development.
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The first of these assumptions states that intercultural communication pervades all facets of the education process. Many cultural and demographic differences exist amongst the bulk of educators and students in the United States. According to Spillane (2015), interactions in an educational setting are intercultural communications; and that intercultural communication is not limited to the classroom alone, but rather is mirrored in exchanges amongst schooling, community, family, teachers, and students. Spillane (2015) further contended that even the most well-meaning educators’ experience clashes of culture, which may, in turn, create environments that silence or deny students a meaningful opportunity to learn.
References
Mostafazadeh, E., Keshtiaray, N., & Ghulizadeh, A. (2015). Analysis of Multi-Cultural Education Concept in Order to Explain Its Components. Journal of Education and Practice , 6 (1), 1-12.
Sharma, M., & Portelli, J. (2014). Uprooting and settling in The invisible strength of deficit thinking. Learning Landscapes , 8 (1), 251-267.
Spillane, S. (2015). The failure of whiteness in art education: A personal narrative informed by critical race theory. The Journal of Social Theory in Art Education (Online) , 35 , 57.
