The secondary school children's levels of knowledge and attitude towards consumer education

m ABSTRACT This study is planned and executed in different socio-economical regions of Ankara, over the students at the ages 12-14 educating in the 6th, 7th and 8th classes of primary education relevant to their knowledge and attitudes towards consumer education in order to determine the effect of the education received in this subject Of 240 students educating at the primary school in two different socio-economical level, a consumer education covering 4 units consisting an experiment group with 120 students was implemented for a period of one month. The knowledge test and attitude scale developed by the researcher was implemented over the experiment and control groups before and after the education. According to the final test points of knowledge and attitude, the effect of education was measured and discussed in connection with the independent variables (socio-economical level, sex, age, parental education and employment status, family income and pocket-money). According to the findings of the study; the total of the students is 240, 52,5% boy; 47,5% girl. Of the students at high socio-economical level, the education status of their fathers at 66,5%, and mothers at 44,5% is high-education level; of the students at low socio-economical level, the education status of their fathers at 41,3%, and mothers at 72.5% is primary education and lower education level (p<0.001). While the majority of the fathers of the students work at regular jobs (85.0%), more than the half of the mothers does not work (68.3%). The majority of the families of the students at a lower socio-economical level has a monthly income (83.3%) of 500 million TL or lower, and the nearly the whole of the families of the students at high socio-economical level has a monthly income (90%) over than 500 million TL. (p<0.001). While in the families of the students a little more than the half at high socio-economical level, the spending decisions are given commonly by whole family members (51.7%), in the families of the students a little more than the half at low socio-economical level, the spending decisions are given by mother and father (51.6%) (pO.01). While more than half of the students at high socio-economicalIV level receive a pocket-money of 1 1 million TL and above, nearly the half of the students at low socio-economical level receive a pocket-money of 5 million TL or lower (pO.001). Of the students who have expressed that they have knowledge of consumer education (52.1%); the ones at low socio-economical level stated that they have learnt the knowledge from the lessons (57.6%), and the ones at high socio- economical level form the mass communication tools (54.8%) (p<0.001). According to the obtained data from the total knowledge test after the education given; the students at high socio-economical level (p<0.001) who have received consumer education (p<0.001), whose mother's (p<0.05) and father's (p<0.001) education status and family income level is high (p<0.001) and whose pocket money is more (p<0.01), get higher points. In the respect to the total knowledge points of the final test; no significant difference was determined between students according to their sexes, the classes attended and the education status of the fathers. According to the obtained data from the total attitude scale after the education given; the students at high socio-economical level (p<0.001) who have received consumer education (p<0.001), girl students (p<0.001), whose father's (p<0.05) get higher points. In respect to the total attitude points of the final test; no meaningful difference was determined between the students according to the classes attended, education status of their mother and father, the employment status of the mothers, family incomes and pocket-money amounts (p<0.05). In our era where technology rapidly develops, by the study done, the requirement to initiate consumer education by the education institutions for the young people seen as an important market by the manufacturers was exposed and a sample "Consumer Education Module" was developed for the students at primary education period.