Abstract:
This quasiexperimental study assessed the impact of a program called EverFi in helping high school students learn personal finance and reports on students' content knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions of financial literacy. Since the housing crisis in 2005, the need to improve financial education has become critical. In response, states have enacted legislation requiring a financial education course for graduation from high school. Literature has suggested the greatest indicator in financial success is completion of a financial education course that presents content centered on student interests and that is delivered in an engaging manner. This premise was followed by a report from the Financial Literacy and Education Commission that identified a need for further research on personal-finance-related topics and best practices for the classroom. Through a survey of behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions of knowledge as well as content assessment and interviews, this dissertation reported on the impact of educational technology, such as virtual environments. These environments validate experiential-based, authentic situations and simulations on learners as part of classroom instruction and found learning that used entertainment, engagement, simulation, personal interests, and experiences with virtual environments such as EverFi can be a best practice in high school financial education.
