The deficit theory suggests that students from lower socioeconomic environments enter school without the necessary linguistic resources for success. It explains that disadvantaged students often show high failure rates because they come from homes lacking verbal stimulation. The deficit theory is problematic because teachers' expectations, which can be influenced by this theory, have a large impact on how students perform. If teachers believe only certain types of students can succeed, they will teach in a way that self-fulfills that belief. Believing in the deficit theory can lead to poor student performance, increased delinquency, feelings of helplessness, and lack of interest in school.

1. Deficit Theory
Suresh Babu G
Assistant Professor

2. Deficit Theory
• The automatic assumption that some
students are more prone to academic
success than others is known as the
deficit theory
• When students who do not fit to the mind
of some teachers for success in the
classroom they are considered as not a
perfect students.
• Eller told the difficult truth, that “their
language may be perceived as deficient”

3. Eller, Rebecca G in "Johnny Can't Talk, Either:
The Perpetuation of the Deficit Theory in
Classrooms", Reading Teacher, page 670-74
May 1989, Analyzes the "deficit theory," which
suggests that children from lower socioeconomic
environments enter school without the linguistic
resources needed for success.
Deficit Theory

4. • The theory explains :-
 Why certain disadvantaged students show a
high failure rate in school. These students are
coming from socio-economically disadvantaged
homes, have lack of verbal stimulation and
enters school without necessary linguistic
resources.
 Some research in 1990s stated it.
Deficit Theory

5. Teachers Expectation and Deficit
Theory
• The deficit theory is a danger in education
because teacher expectation can have a large
influence on how a student performs.
• If a teacher believes that only students of higher
socioeconomic status families can succeed in
advanced classes, then that teacher will likely
teach in a way so that only these students will
succeed.

6. Consequences of Believing in The
Deficit Theory
• Poor student performance.
• Encourages students delinquency
• Make teacher an attitude that it is impossible to
make improvement in students.
• Student may feel as if nothing they do will improve
their academic performance.
• A feeling of helplessness settles in.
• Lack of interest in children convert them as
problem child or dropping out happens.