Educating for Financial Literacy: A Case Study With a Sociocultural Lens
This article discusses not only the differences in learning styles of the adult learner, but also focuses on the influence of societal and cultural factors of learning, specifically on the Latina woman. Simply providing financial education alone is not sufficient to promote changes necessary to implement financial literacy, especially in those already trying to overcome racial, ethnic, gender, and language barriers. This study was designed to discover how “the Latina educators and learners in the financial education program make meaning from their experiences and to gain information about their interaction with one another and with the world around them, which influences their behavior and motivations related to their financial education.” (Sprow Forté, 2012, p. 219)
In other words, how do the differences in culture and lifestyle affect how Latinas learn and why they want to make changes in their behavior? The author studied a program for Latina single mothers who also fell into the low-income category. Teaching financial literacy was a small part of a 3-4 year career development plan which took into account the participants’ current life situations and factors such as age, education, and family; creating small groups called cohorts. One way of placing value on being Latina is that all the classes were taught in Spanish. Teachers were also able to adjust their lessons and cover topics specific to their group of learners. Tools which seemed to be especially effective were hands-on activities as well as the sharing of personal stories.
The women were motivated by each other, as well as by their own successes in setting small goals and achieving them. Not only did they become more financially literate, they gained confidence in their ability to improve their lives. “It cannot be denied that much of the apparent success of this program, as seen through the enthusiasm of the participants, can be attributed to a greater acknowledgement of importance of the cultural background of the learners for the learning process as they experience it, including the sociocultural factors of being women and Latinas.” (Sprow Forté, 2012, p.230) I am now able to see a little better how the connections made through the Discussion Boards can create a dialogue to help bolster support of your ideas, a factor is staying motivated. It is always easier to learn in an environment where you feel a part of the group and as if your opinion is valued.
Reference
Sprow Forté, K. (2012). Educating for financial literacy: A case study with a sociocultural lens. Adult Education Quarterly, 2013(63), 215-235.
