Issues and Solutions: A Literature Review of the Deficit Discourses Concerning Under-Represented Students

The United Nations (UN) fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is to provide quality education for all. This chapter is a scoping literature review which outlines the historical development of deficit discourses concerning under-represented students in higher education within an Australian context. Under-represented students are defined as those from government specified equity groups or those that have been highlighted as at risk in the literature. These student groups are identified as requiring additional learning supports to those typically available. This chapter then highlights the complexity of defining deficit discourses. The impact of deficit discourses on under-represented students is summarised from how it is presented in the literature. The solutions that are proposed in the literature are summarised with the aim of highlighting the current literature that applies to the UN SDG4.