From words to concepts: A financial literacy intervention study in primary school

This study investigated the efficacy of a financial literacy intervention for primary school children (N=190, 4th-5th graders) designed to foster deep learning of key financial concepts—savings, limited resources, loans, and budget—and their transfer to novel contexts. The experimental group engaged with interactive magazines combining narrative and expository texts, while the active control group received traditional workshop-based instruction. Results revealed that while both groups significantly improved their financial vocabulary, the intervention group demonstrated superior performance in conceptual transfer to societal issues, motivation, and overall transfer tasks. Furthermore, reading comprehension and engagement levels emerged as critical predictors of success. These findings suggest that integrating language-mediated, content-based literacy approaches enhances children’s ability to use disciplinary knowledge flexibly across domains, facilitating critical thinking skills essential for active citizenship.