Financial Education in Practice 2400-EFP(KS)-OG

The aim of the course is to develop students’ social and entrepreneurial competences as well as digital competences by preparing them to act as educators of young people in the field of financial literacy.
Polish and international research indicates a growing need to develop financial literacy among children and young people. On the one hand, an increasing number of young people actively use financial services; on the other hand, their knowledge of key financial concepts and issues remains insufficient (see, among others, Diagnoza stanu wiedzy i świadomości ekonomicznej dzieci i młodzieży w Polsce 2022, National Bank of Poland; Młodzież w świecie pieniędzy. Wyniki badania umiejętności finansowych PISA 2022, Educational Research Institute).
At the same time, numerous studies highlight the effectiveness of peer tutoring as an educational practice. Importantly, the benefits extend both to students acting as tutors and to students receiving support from their peers (see, for example, the meta-analysis conducted by the Education Endowment Foundation).
The project will be implemented as a university-wide course, in which students will develop their own lesson plans and educational materials in the field of financial literacy and subsequently deliver lessons at selected upper-secondary schools in Warsaw and the surrounding area.
The project includes classes designed to develop students’ knowledge of financial services, sessions presenting the most effective and engaging teaching methods, as well as practical workshops on developing lesson plans and educational materials using digital and AI tools.
The course is interdisciplinary in nature, combining economic knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and soft skills, including public speaking and group facilitation.
Proposed topics:
• Introduction: the concept of financial literacy
• Selected teaching methods
• How much do we earn? Employment income, taxation and inflation
• Types and functions of banks
• Savings and investments
• Banking without banks: what are fintechs?
• How to protect your money
• Cryptocurrencies
• Investing in the stock market in practice
• Trading platforms
• Lesson planning workshops
• Workshops on developing educational materials and games
Expected outcomes: students will complete a comprehensive implementation project involving:
1. expanding their knowledge of financial services and the financial sector in Poland;
2. delivering their own trial financial literacy lesson at a school (two class periods);
3. gaining practical teaching and training experience and developing their social and entrepreneurial as well as digital competences.

Course coordinators

Agnieszka Różycka

Type of course

general courses

Learning outcomes

Knowledge. The student:
• has knowledge of contemporary socio-economic issues related to financial literacy among young people in Poland and understands their social and economic implications;
• knows methods for designing and implementing educational activities tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of secondary school students;
• understands the basic concepts related to personal financial management, investment portfolio construction, investment diversification and financial cybersecurity at a level that enables them to communicate this knowledge effectively to young people;
• has knowledge of effective educational communication methods for working with young people and of developing engaging narratives in the field of finance.
Skills. The student:
• is able to diagnose the actual educational needs of a target group and, based on this diagnosis, design implementation activities;
• is able to design, prepare and independently deliver financial education classes for young people using innovative digital tools;
• is able to communicate complex economic knowledge effectively in a way that is accessible and engaging for school students;
• is able to manage the implementation of a project from the diagnostic phase, through design and implementation, to evaluation;
• is able to assess the effectiveness of educational activities undertaken and formulate recommendations for further development.
Social and Entrepreneurial Competences (key). The student:
• is prepared to act as a financial educator and mentor within school and local communities;
• is able to cooperate effectively with experts from the financial sector, teachers, non-governmental organisations and educational institutions;
• is able to independently initiate, plan and implement projects with social value and practical application.

In addition, the student is aware of their role in building a civic society and their responsibility for developing financial competences within the local community. They demonstrate an entrepreneurial and innovative approach to educational and social challenges.

Digital competences. The student:
• is able to use digital tools to create educational materials, including video recordings, multimedia presentations and interactive resources;
• is able to critically assess digital information sources and use them appropriately in educational projects.

Assessment criteria

To pass the course, students must obtain at least 60% of the total available points. The final grade is based on:
• the quality and substantive content of the educational materials prepared – 40%;
• the preparation and delivery of a trial lesson (final project) – 40%;
• the presentation of the project results and project evaluation – 20%.
Additionally, as part of the courses offered under the ZIP 2.0 Programme, all students are required to complete a pre-test and a post-test.

Bibliography

Krajowa Strategia Edukacji Finansowej. Polityka na rzecz rozwijania kompetencji finansowych, 2024

Młodzież w świecie pieniędzy. Wyniki badania umiejętności finansowych PISA 2022, Michał Sitek, Olga Wasilewska, Educational Research Institute, 2024

OECD reports, reports published by the National Bank of Poland (NBP), the Association of Financial Companies in Poland, and the Trampki na Giełdzie Foundation

Original teaching materials prepared by the course instructors and external experts

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes: