Deficit Discourse in Indigenous Education

This presentation will discuss some of the initial findings from the ARC funded research project, Deficit Discourse in Indigenous Education.

Mick Dodson and Bill Fogarty's presentation, Discourse, Deficit, and Indigenous Education will provide a review of contemporary discourse studies theory and the place of deficit in the field of Indigenous education.

This will be followed by a presentation by Kerry McCallum and Lisa Waller on discursive power in Indigenous education, which discusses the role of the media in shaping educational discourse.

Ben Wilson will present on differing notions of high expectations, and how education policy supports only a narrow understanding of this concept which can be used to power a deficit discourse around Indigenous students.

Finally, Scott Gorringe will present a paper on possible ways to move away from the deficit discourse through utilising ancient Indigenous ways of thinking and being.