Examining the financial literacy levels of secondary school students

Financial literacy is defined as the ability to make conscious evaluations and make effective financial decisions while managing individuals' budgets. Individuals need financial competencies such as creating budgets, saving, managing their savings correctly, ready for financial risks and retirement planning throughout their lives. It is very important to develop financial knowledge, skills and attitudes and to be transformed into behavior. Therefore, studies are carried out to improve financial literacy all over the world. The most important factor in the process of developing financial literacy is present an educational program with well-defined targets to all segments of society. Individuals who can reflect the financial knowledge, skills and attitudes they gained during the education process into their behaviors are considered financially literate. In this study, the financial literacy levels of seventh and eighth grade secondary school students were measured with questions we created by examining financial problems in PISA research. Then, the financial literacy scores of the participants were examined in terms of variables such as gender, parents' education levels, Turkish and mathematics lessons success scores. In the financial literacy achievement test, participants achieved a performance of 43,625 points out of 100. While the financial literacy success scores of the participants didn't differ significantly according to gender; it was observed that there was a significant difference according to the education level of their mothers and fathers and their success in Turkish and mathematics courses. As a result of the analysis, it is seen that as the education level of the parents increases, the financial literacy scores of individuals generally increase. It is seen that financial literacy scores tend to increase with the increase in mathematics and Turkish lesson achievement.