The effect of secondary school financial literacy curriculum on students, financial knowledge, attitude and behaviors: A research in Batman province

The purpose of the research is to measure the financial literacy levels of students in secondary education institutions and to reveal the relationship between financial education provided in secondary education and financial knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The study was conducted in Batman province among 474 students aged 15-19 in the 2022-2023 academic year in both general and vocational high schools, where financial literacy courses were both taught and not taught. In the study, students' financial literacy levels, perceived self-efficacy in money management, perceived money behavior, and financial knowledge were measured in three components and analyzed concerning students' different social, economic, and educational characteristics. In terms of financial literacy, students were found to have above average perceived self-efficacy in money management and money behavior, with a moderate level of financial knowledge. In the study, the "Financial Literacy and Money Management Perception Scale" developed by Güvenç (2016) was used as the data collection tool. The data collected in the research were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, Welch, and Scheffe Test post hoc tests in the SPSS 26.00 program. The research did not find a statistically significant relationship between high school students' financial knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors and age, parents' education level, personal income, and family income. However, in the gender variable, there was a significant difference in financial attitude success, with male participants outperforming female participants. Regarding school types, it was found that vocational high school students significantly differed from general high school students in financial behavior success, while general high school students differed from vocational high school students in financial knowledge success. When measuring the change in financial literacy success concerning whether financial literacy courses were taken, it was found that students who took the Vocational Development Workshop course had a positive differentiation in financial knowledge and behavior success compared to students who did not take financial literacy courses. Based on the research findings, it was concluded that the financial literacy levels of high school students vary according to individuals' socioeconomic and educational characteristics. The benefit of school-based financial education, especially, becomes apparent in the test performance of those who take courses involving financial literacy. Within this framework, it is believed that the data obtained can contribute to the planning of elective or mandatory financial literacy education in high schools.