Models of Education that Breakdown Learning Barriers

Models of education appear to be structured for various reasons, to replicate or carry on the culture of that society, to create well adjusted adults able to make social and political changes in society, to continue the mass production of workers to increase the wealth of that society (Freeman, 2005). The importance placed on these models determine the development of the curriculum, teaching methods, teacher salary, the focus placed on discipline and religion, and the type of experiences that occur at the tertiary level.

Models of higher education all seem to be a variation of the models stated previously, shaping tertiary students to meet societal demands, expectations and beliefs. In Denmark for example, the university is guided by a model which focuses on transformational and distributed leadership. Although this model is being reviewed to determine how effective it is in that society, it still continues to guide what and how students in higher education are being taught in preparation for the working world(Carney, 2007). In Jamaica, the model of higher education is expected to create members of society who can produce societal change but are also equipped to carry out various functions in different careers, thereby replacing older generations. In China, tertiary institutions are also based on a model which focuses on the importance of cognition and training in producing workers that are competent and able to meet economical, global and subsequent societal changes, but even this model is being reviewed for limitations in meeting the needs of various social groups within that society (Zhenzhou, 2007).