Waiting on the World to Change: A Case Study on Teachers in Secondary Social Science and Their Perceptions Concerning the Relevance of Financial Literac

The purpose of this dissertation research was to understand the perceptions of secondary social science education teachers on teaching financial literacy to secondary education students. To achieve this overall objective, the following research question framed this study: What perceptions do secondary social science teachers have towards the need for financial literacy as a part of the curricular objectives for secondary education?;Three large suburban high schools located in the Southeastern United States were selected for this case study research. Fifteen social science educators completed a survey to provide insight on the research question. Participants in the study were given pseudonyms to preserve anonymity. The themes that emerged from the survey include: (a) participants' perceptions of and experiences with teaching financial literacy to secondary education students, (b) participants' perceptions of and experiences with teaching financial literacy to improve student success in school and (c) how social science teachers enhance the effectiveness of their current efforts to improve financial literacy skills of students in school.;The findings from this study describe perceptions of secondary social science educators teaching financial literacy as an essential life skill to secondary education students. Secondary social science educators recognize that teaching financial literacy as an essential life skill may help secondary education students make informed financial decisions on various financial concepts such as credit, money management, and budgeting. Based on the findings, this study recommends that further investigation into financial literacy education that leads to improved financial education outcomes for students are conducted. Dependable data collection is paramount to increase the effectiveness of any curricular program.