To be conformative or not - a question of style or education? a comparative study of teacher students in Sweden and community education students in Scotland

Education systems in Sweden and Scotland are currently undergoing reforms which have shifted curricula from content driven to student focused approaches. In Higher Education, the shift from elite to more accessible mass education may bring direct implications for teaching and learning. Institutions continually seek evidence of the effectiveness of methods used to facilitate student learning and it is important for teachers in Higher Education to be aware of the different ways that students learn. This article examines the learning styles preferences for 70 students in Sweden and Scotland to consider whether, in light of international research on learning styles, these groups differed. Findings were used to explore why and how this might impact on higher education in terms of students ́ learning strategies. The findings suggested the need for diverse teaching approaches and concluded that community education students and teacher students differed in their preferences towards sound, design and conformity. The article considers how these differences might be explained and so, might be of interest to those engaged in teaching and learning in Higher Education and those working in discrete professional practice communities.