Dismantling deficit thinking works to challenge the normative practices of assuming that students who do not fit the stereotype of a traditional student are lackin. In the tradition of other asset-based pedagogies, dismantling deficit thinking works to honor prior knowledge and experiences that students already have, but also acknowledges the need to create opportunities for genuine engagement, center social interaction and community knowledge, decenter classroom learning, and work against systems of educational oppression. Rooted in critical theories that recognize the need for self-reflection, Heinbach, Ritola, and Rinto (2021) emphasize the need for educators who are commiteed to dismantling deficit thinking to address both their mindsets and practices according to their five principles.
| Principles Educators who dismantle deficit thinking must commit to: |
Honor prior knowledge | Create opportunities for genuine engagement | Center social interaction and community knowledge | Decenter classroom learning | Work against systems of educational oppression |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In committing to these principles, educators adopt the following mindsets and practices: | |||||
| Mindset Educators who dismantle deficit thinking must continuously reflect upon and/or question: |
…how they can build upon students’ prior knowledge and how lived experiences of learners are central to this prior knowledge. | ... the idea that knowledge is objective and instead acknowledge that learning is constructed. | ...how social interaction, community, and collaboration are integral to learning, and how learners’ social networks outside of educational contexts significantly impact their learning. | ... the many spaces of learning that exist outside their classroom nd recognize their classroom as one space for learning amongst many. | …the notion that student success and achievement is primarily the result of student effort and instead acknowledge how systems of oppression have influenced education. |
| Practices Educators who dismantle deficit thinking must make tangible steps to: |
...create opportunities for learners to utilize their prior knowledge in the classroom. | ...develop opportunities for learners to construct their own meaning, actively participate in their own learning, and drive the curriculum and learning experiences. | ...employ learning experiences that require social construction of knowledge and authentic, real-world applications. | …integrate community knowledge in the classroom and share university knowledge with external communities. |
...engage in critical reflection and cultivate cultural and sociopolitical awareness in order to create equitable education systems. |
This table is replicated from this guide that was created by Chelsea Heinbach, Rosan Mitola, and Erin Rinto and is an excerpt from Dismantling Deficit Thinking in Academic Libraries Theory, Reflection, and Action.
As you explore these resources, ask yourself the following questions:
After you work through some of the reflective practices, here are some starting teaching practices you might adopt.
Dismantling Deficit Thinking in Academic Libraries by 