Date of Award

8-2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Executive Leadership

First Supervisor

Jeff Wallis

Second Supervisor

Janice Kelly

Abstract

The importance of financial literacy has been acknowledged and well received. However, measures to evaluate the effectiveness of financial literacy education have focused on program outcomes rather than participant interest to receive and process the information. The purpose of this transformative, phenomenological qualitative research study was to identify and examine the factors influencing the interest, processing, and application of financial literacy education programs as perceived by students in an urban, college setting. Using a theoretical framework based on the Kirkpatrick model for evaluating effectiveness of training programs and the Sen financial capability model, the study enabled the marginalized voices and viewpoints of 10 urban college students to be heard. Data revealed that financial literacy education is a valued, learning process that should be promoted and sustained throughout an individual’s lifetime. The results of this study suggest that financial literacy curriculum needs to be customized to include topics perceived to be interesting and personally relevant to students. This research also found that the perceived capabilities acquired through subject-matter knowledge and access to viable resources influenced financial self-efficacy and subsequent application of learned behaviors. Recommendations to stakeholders include mandating academic accountability for college financial literacy education courses and delivery of the education on diverse platforms. In addition, future research should be conducted to examine gender disparities between female and male financial literacy interest levels.

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