Exploring the Effect of Undergraduate Programs to Financial Literacy Level: The Case of Turkey

Öz

This study examines the effects of undergraduate program content on financial literacy. The main assumption of the study is that financial literacy is a vital competence that can be attained through education programs. The study compares financial literacy levels of undergraduate students from Economic and Administrative Sciences Faculty, who are more exposed to financial concepts and techniques, with those of Engineering Faculty whose education content is more favored towards quantitative analysis. Data was collected from five universities in Turkey, which is a developing country. Recent developments in Turkey has placed increased responsibility on university students in terms of financial and risk management decisions. This highlights the importance of studies on financial literacy. The financial literacy of university students was measured using financial literacy scale developed by OECD. The study found 31.7% of the students to have a high level of financial literacy while 30.1% had medium and 16% had low levels of financial literacy. A significant relationship between University students’ level of financial literacy and field of study (quantitative vs. social) was also observed.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Financial Literacy
• University Students
• Educational Programs
• Financial Decision Making
• Cluster Analysis

Lisans Eğitim Programlarının Finansal Okuryazarlık Düzeyine Etkisinin Araştırılması: Türkiye Örneği

Öz

Bu çalışmada lisans eğitim program içeriklerinin finansal okuryazarlığa etkisi araştırılmıştır. Finansal Okuryazarlığın eğitim programları ile kazanılabilen yaşamsal bir yetenek olması çalışmanın temel varsayımıdır. Finansal Kavramları ve Teknikleri tanıma imkânı daha yüksek eğitim alan İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi öğrencilerine karşılık, sayısal analizlerin eğitim içeriğinde daha büyük yer aldığı Mühendislik Fakültesi öğrencilerinin finansal okuryazarlıkları karşılaştırılmıştır. 2014 yılında toplanan verilerle finansal krizin etkilerinin halen devam etmekte olduğu bir dönemde, üniversite öğrencilerinin finansal okuryazarlık düzeyi ayrıntılı biçimde incelenmiştir. Veri, gelişmekte olan ülkeler grubunda yer alan Türkiye’den toplanmıştır. Türkiye’de son dönemde yaşanan gelişmeler, üniversite öğrencilerini finansal kararlar almak ve risk yönetimi için daha da sorumlu hale getirmiştir. Bu nedenle bu grubun finansal okuryazarlık düzeyi ile ilgili olarak yapılan çalışmaların sonuçları önem kazanmıştır. Üniversite öğrencilerinin finansal okuryazarlık düzeyleri, OECD tarafından geliştirilen finansal okuryazarlık ölçeği kullanılarak belirlenmiştir. Çalışmada üniversite öğrencilerinin %31,7’ sinin YÜKSEK, %30,1’ inin ORTA, %16 sının ise DÜŞÜK finansal okuryazarlığa sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Üniversite Öğrencilerinin eğitim alanları (sayısal: mühendislik fakültesi ve sözel: iktisadi ve idari bilimler fakültesi) ile finansal okuryazarlık düzeyleri arasında da anlamlı ilişki tespit edilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Finansal Okuryazarlık
• Üniversite Öğrencisi
• Eğitim Programı
• Finansal Karar Alma
• Kümeleme Analizi

Kaynakça

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