Abstract
M.A.
This study entailed research into the variables that play a significant role in the development of
student culture, the specific nature of student culture at RAU and extent of the relationship between
student participation in student culture and their work ethic/work orientation.
In the qualitative phase of this study a total of 10 in-depth group interviews were conducted with 21
students in order to determine the nature of student culture at RAU. From these interviews certain
variables of student culture at the RAU were identified and used to construct a questionnaire that
was completed by a representative sample of 1000 students (quantitative phase). The questionnaire
consisted of questions on the biographical- and academic background of students, their work
ethic/work orientation and various aspects of student culture and -subcultures.
By means of factor analysis and item analysis, eight scales were developed. These scales measured
the work ethic/work orientation of students, the extent to which students regard academic merit as
important, their participation in student culture, their conformation to academic student norms and
the extent of their identification with the academic-, occupational-, college- and outside-campus
student subcultures. The scales were further analysed in terms of the biographical- and academic
background of students, making use of one-way analysis of variance and Scheffe's paired
comparisons, Hotelling T2 and t-tests and Pearsons correlation's.
Using bundle analysis four student subcultures, namely the active-, passive-, hardworking- and
occupational subcultures, were identified at the RAU. These subcultures were also analysed in terms
of students' backgrounds making use of crosstabulations with Chi t- tests.
It was found that students have a relatively high work ethic/work orientation: The most important
factors that bring about a difference in terms of students work ethic/work orientation are gender, the
faculty within which students study, the method students use to pay for their studies and the RAUstudent
subculture that students belong to.