An analysis of sub-cultures in a college of education

This investigation is concerned with similarities and differences between the sub-cultural groupings developed by the Clark and Trow (1963) model and which are present in a single year-group of students completing their third-year course in a College of Education. The four sub-cultural orientations are labelled Vocationalist, Academic, Collegiate and Nonconformist respectively. The problem is outlined and various hypotheses are tested. A variety of measuring instruments are used and include both published material and measures designed and evaluated through a range of pilot studies to assess specific areas of importance which relate to the particular College used in the investigation. Statistical techniques are employed which range from simple comparisons of group frequencies and percentages to the utilisation of analyses of variance, factor analyses and the stepwise discriminant function. Analyses and their results are discussed in terms of both single-sex comparisons and the larger groupings formed by combining the two sexes. Near-sociometric techniques indicate the extent to which sub-cultural membership can be predicted from sociometric groupings. Further data arc given which indicate major differences in attainment, attitudes and personality between the various groupings. The results are then summarised, conclusions are drawn and suggestions are put forward for future research in this field.