Mid Sweden University

The following study explores the criteria in the Swedish civics curriculum, known as personal finance, is regarded by teachers and students. The aim of this study is to explore which attitudes that Swedish students have towards their education in personal finance. The study will also examine how teachers imply that they structure their education in personal finance, as well as which impact they regard that different frame factors such as time, frame documents, students, colleagues and available material have on how they decide to structure their education. Previous research within this research field suggests that students regard their own knowledge in personal finance as lacking, and many students regard their home as the primary source of information when it comes to acquisition of knowledge related to personal finance. Research also suggest that time, the curriculum and students are the main frame factors that teachers consider when they structure their education. The theoretical framework of this essay consists of the frame factor theory, as well as the theory of free space.  This method of this essay is based on mixed-methods approach, where interviews and surveys were combined. 53 students, 26 from the course Samhällskunskap 1a1 and 27 from the course Samhällskunskap 1b, answered a survey about how they experienced that their respective course in civics contributed to their acquisition in knowledge and attitudes towards personal finance. Furthermore, two interviews were carried out with two teachers, one teacher who teaches the course Samhällskunskap 1a1 and one who teaches Samhällskunskap 1b. The results showed that the students from the course Samhällskunskap 1a1 are generally more satisfied with their education and consider school to be the most important agent for knowledge acquisition in personal finance to a higher degree than the students who read the course Samhällskunskap 1b. The results from the interviews were that the teachers indicate that  time, the curriculum and students were the most eminent frame factors that affected how the education in personal finance was structured. Furthermore, the results imply that almost all students consider personal finance to be an important part of their lives, but interest in personal finance is heavily decided by gender.