Case-based economics instruction and financial literacy: a quasi-experimental study of tenth-grade students

This study compared financial knowledge scores among tenth-grade pupils receiving case-based or conventional economics instruction. Two intact classes (N = 72) completed a 20-item test before and after two 135-minute lessons. Content appraisal of 20 item specifications by two validators gave a mean Aiken's V of .808; a 35-record item analysis yielded Cronbach's alpha of .877. Mean posttest scores were 77.92 and 67.08, a significant difference of 10.833 points, t(70) = 3.858, p < .001. ANCOVA controlling for baseline scores estimated a difference of 9.760 points (95% CI [6.618, 12.902]), F(1, 69) = 38.398, p < .001. However, internal consistency in the study sample was weaker (KR-20 = −.160 at pretest and .485 at posttest). Case-based instruction was associated with higher immediate test scores, but measurement limitations and the use of one nonrandomly assigned class per condition restrict causal interpretation and inferences beyond the financial knowledge domain.