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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between teachers' financial literacy and
prosperity. In performing this research, the statistical methods have been used including Kolmograph-
Smirnof, Pearson correlation, one-sample mean, variance analysis and two-sample independent tests. The
process of conducting research has started from the beginning of January in 2012 in Yazd County schools
as well as in all education levels and continued for six months. Overall, the results indicated the
inadequacy of teachers' financial literacy in Yazd County. The overall test results regardin g the
measurement of teachers' financial prosperity showed more than 60 % of teachers are well off financially.
The research results also suggest that the age, education, gender, working degree variables are linked to
teachers' financial well-being but the marital status variable is directly related to teachers' financial well-
being. The lack of association between teachers' financial literacy and prosperity was observed in 95%
confidence level.
INTRODUCTION
Information poverty is always used by the rulers and authorities during human life as a tool that works to
benefit governments and loss public and its adverse consequences can be noted the disorder and
disturbance in the human society (Sobhaninejad et al, 2005). A person who is included literate from
financial information respect, has found the necessity and importance of adequate financial information
for conducting the properly affairs and according to the available information, can provide accurate
assessment and analysis. If each person can acquire adequate information and appropriate financial
literacy related to society and available economic and apply it in his/her life, he/she certainly will achieve
the desired welfare level of the living. It is the only intelligence in activities, which leads to the activities
and gives the value and credibility to performance of the system and sets.
Today's competitive world is concentrated on efficiency and every person is more efficient, will be more
successful. Condition to; benefit from the facilities that the today knowledge and technology make
accessible for human, is further coordination of today's students and tomorrow's citizens with process of
this transformations. To achieve this coordination, being equipped individuals of a growing community
with academic literacy is a necessity (Sobhaninejad et al., 2005). The recent experiences of developing
countries suggest that the increased investment in human resources provides necessary background to
achieve higher economic growth and social welfare (Emadzadeh, 2003). Financial prosperity has been
long a favorite concept for economists, educators, financial advisors and financial planners. In principle,
the financial prosperity is a simple concept of the public happiness or satisfaction from financial status
(Strumpel, 1976). The positive satisfaction from life is related to some adaptive consequences and is
regarded as an important result and potential facilitating for development of other positive characteristics
and behaviors.
Financial Literacy
The different definitions exist about financial literacy and personal finance in the available literature and
articles. The financial literacy includes the ability to balance bank account, budgeting, saving for the
future and learning necessary strategies to manage debt.
A person is deemed to be financially literate that able to manage his/her personal finance in changing
society and life which for this, he/she should acquire necessary perceptions and develop his/her skills in
this area able to perceive personal financial decisions impacts on himself/herself, others and the
environment. Financial literacy and family financial issues planning, is a general deterrence strategy,
which can help to reduce the socia l and psychological pressures and increase family welfare (Titus et al,
1989). Economic stresses (in other words, economic hardship, financial or economic pressure) may be the
result of not being able to meet financial needs, uncertainty from the income resource, job instability
and/or being insufficient income to meet the requirements. One of the factors affecting individuals'
financial literacy is their gender and age. According to the study conducted Lusardi et al, financial
knowledge and science among American the young is lower than older people (Lusardi et al, 2010) are.
Therefore, it can be raised:
H1: Teachers are financially literate.
H2: There is a relationship between demographic characteristics with teachers' financial literacy.
H2a: There is a relationship between financial literacy and teachers' gender.
H2b: There is a relationship between financial literacy and teachers' status marital.
H2c: There is a relationship between financial literacy and teachers' age.
Copyright 2014 | Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 1144
Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences ISSN: 2231 6345 (Online)
An Open Access, Online International Journal Available at http:// http://www.cibtech.org/sp.ed/jls/2014/01/jls.htm
2014 Vol. 4 (S1) April-June, pp. 1143-1152/Bahonar and Sadrabadi
Research Article
H2d: There is a relationship between financial literacy and teachers' education level.
H2e: There is a relationship between financial literacy and teachers' working degree.
Financial Prosperity
An important part of the financial prosperity is satisfaction from the life different aspects. One of these
aspects is the person financial status. The evaluation program content, knowledge level, timing and how
to delivery, all show aspects of financial education programs the effectiveness which has been designed to
change financial behavior. Previously mentioned programs should have the ability that demonstrates
academic and financial behaviors conducive to reducing financial problems and enhancing financial well-
being. Examples of improved financial conditions, including an increase in assets, reduce debt, increase in
net worth and following for financial successful retirement (Al-Tamimi, 2006).
Perhaps, the most comprehensive definition is presented by Gold Smith (2000). From Gold's view, the
financial prosperity is sufficiency amount of and economic security of the individual or family that
protects individual against the everyday financial risks such as redundancy, illness, bankruptcy, poverty
and misery in retirement time. This concept is often used as a measure of the life quality and each
individual defines his/her financial prosperity components (Margaret, 2004). Prosperity is a state of
financial health, happiness and without financial concern, based on a subjective recognition from her/his
financial status. Financial reputation is similar to this, except that contains both the objective and
subjective criteria. In contrast, financial literacy evaluates a person's ability to understand economic basic.
It is just as confidence to discuss about finances issues, knowledge from risk and skill in managing
finance and achieving financial resources (Titus et al, 1989). Considering these cases, hypotheses can be
tested following:
H3: Teachers are well off financially.
H4: There is a relationship between demographic characteristics with teachers' financial prosperity.
H4a: There is a relationship between teachers' gender and financial prosperity.
H4b: There is a relationship between teachers' marital status and financial prosperity.
H4c: There is a relationship between teachers' age and financial prosper ity.
H4d: There is a relationship between teachers' education level and financial prosperity.
H4e: There is a relationship between teachers' working degree and financial prosperity.
Education necessity
UNESCO (2008) knows education as communities' development key and path, which people enables to
realize the capabilities and increase control over decisions affecting them. UNESCO International
Commission believes that lifelong earnings and participation in the learning community is of the key
factors to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. The previously mentioned Commission
underlines on the learning aspects namely, learning to know, learning to do and learning to live with each
other. If the production and consumption have social benefit and cost and these benefit and cost are not
regarded by the producer or consumer, the governments interfere in the production and consumption of
these goods and services to limit social costs and use better from social benefits for public.
Education, including services is that its production and consumption have social benefits. When
individual studies, not only benefits himself/herself from proficiency and ability gains, but also society
profits from her/his capabilities created. Therefore, society should contr ibute as its share as in the
education investments. Estimating the education social return using conventional methods cannot be
estimated all the education social benefits and costs. In this ways, the education social costs are more
important (Emadzadeh, 2003). Scientists' research about the bank-centered and market-oriented economic
efficiency has led to different results. A group believes market-oriented economies perform better and
have a better performance and other group knows successful economy based on capital market-oriented,
as well. Recent studies of some scientists show that regardless of the banks-centered or market-oriented
economy, what causes economic development, is adequacy of financial services supply in the community
Copyright 2014 | Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 1145
Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences ISSN: 2231 6345 (Online)
An Open Access, Online International Journal Available at http:// http://www.cibtech.org/sp.ed/jls/2014/01/jls.htm
2014 Vol. 4 (S1) April-June, pp. 1143-1152/Bahonar and Sadrabadi
Research Article
from which the most important of these services, providing education services and information to the
community (Soltani-Nejad, 2008). So, it can be raised this assumption in the relationship between
financial prosperity and education:
H5: Teachers' financial literacy has a direct connection with their financial well-being.
RESEARCH HISTORY
Kim and Garman examined the relationship between financial concern, financial prosperity, financial
behaviors and health. In this study, researchers have collected data from among individuals referring to
financial counseling agencies in two states of America in the years 2000 and 2003 and using a fifty-
seven-question questionnaire. The results of this research indicated that individual characteristics (age and
income) and financial advice affect on individuals financial behaviors. Personal characteristics, the past
financial concerns and financial advice affect on individuals present financial concerns. In addition,
individual characteristics, past financial behaviors, past financial worries and financial advice affect on
the financial well-being. Individuals' health is affected by personal characteristics, financial behaviors,
financial concerns, financial prosperity and financial advice (Kim and Garman, 2003). In evaluation area
of students' financial literacy, Chen and Valp show that the university system subgroups, education level
and number of years of work experience varies significantly based on the level of financial literacy.
Without the work of M.A. students, students in lower class grades and those who have little work
experience, have lower levels of financial literacy.
In addition, women have far fewer illiterate than men and international students are also less intelligent
than Americans citizens in this area (Chen and Volpe, 1998). In other research, Volpe et al agreed about
that the online investors should have higher knowledge than conventional investors in success in stock
markets. Their study results showed that the level of financial changes with education, experience, age,
income and gender. Women especially had financial literacy much less than men and older participants
performed better than younger participants did. In addition, online merchants had higher knowledge than
others (Volpe et al, 2002) did.
Joe and Gobble results show that education level, financial knowledge, risk tolerance, financial ability,
behaviors and financial pressure (stress) extent have direct effects on financial satisfaction. In particular,
high levels of financial knowledge and financial capability to strengthen the financial behaviors lead to
high levels of financial satisfaction (Joe and Gobble, 2004). Peng et al stated in investigating personal
finance educations impact introduced in high school and university, saving and investment knowledge
that respondents investment knowledge degree mean was 5.6 from 10 that indicated respondents
approximately answered correctly to half of questions. Investment knowledge degree of individuals, who
had participated in personal finance education classes in college, was more than others, in all models
studied, a significant relationship between the personal finance education and investment knowledge was
observed (peng et al, 2007).
Henley and Dvorakin research while measuring financial literacy given sample, the relationship between
financial literacy to demographic variables and individual's understanding level from the retirement plans
and documentary benefits showed the participants of this study have good knowledge about the
mechanism of the program but financial literacy sufficient have not to differentiate between the
investment various options. Additionally, the findings of this study concluded that individuals'
participation in pension schemes will lead to an increased level of financial literacy (Hanley and Dvorak,
2010). Tamimi and Kalli s' research results in investigating investors financial literacy rate of in financial
markets, showed that individuals' financial literacy is below the required level, individuals' financial
literacy extent is affected by income rate, education level, their activity area.
People with higher income and education level have further financial literacy and people who invest in
the fields of banking and stock market, are financially literate than are others (Tamimi and Kalli, 2009).
Yetmar and Murphy in research as personal finance planning approaches; graduate students were
examined at two universities of America in financial plan preparation area. 33 % of participants stated
METHODOLOGY
This present research method is in terms of the applicable target and descriptive execute strategy using the
survey tool. After analyzing the data, the present research is considered of correlation type. Spatial scope
of this study include schools at all educational levels (elementary, guidance school and high school) of
Yazd County and the statistical population studied also contain all teachers working in of Yazd County
schools.
The statistical sample randomly was selected and used Cochran's formula for determining the sample size.
To provide data in discussing investigation of theoretical basics and literature was used library method
that for this purpose, published books in the personal finance field as well as the articles related to
financial literacy topic available in journals and internet credible sites was studied and investigated and in
field area, a standard questionnaire was distributed among teachers of Yazd County.
In preparing the financial welfare questionnaire, standard questionnaire Hygynzvastoon Roberts (2010)
has been used. The financial literacy is independent variable in the present research and has includes three
indexes:
1. Acquisition of income, saving and investment,
2. Expense and loan and
3. Insurance and pension.
Demographic variables also is independence variable and include five features (gender, marital status,
age, educational level and working degree). Financial welfare has been the dependent variable in this
study and includes indicators buying behavior and individual perception about his financial future.
In order to evaluate teachers' financial welfare, welfare per person has been calculated than five. It is so
that individuals with higher degree from 3 have financial welfare and higher sample mean than 3 presents
professor public welfare. In order to check the storied, the questionnaire was given a few professors and
their corrective feedbacks were considered in the final design. The reliability of the questionnaire was
According to the statistic t (-8.162) and the p (0.000) that is less than 5 %, the null hypothesis is rejected
at the 95% significance level, namely, the average financial literacy has been not equal to 60 , considering
the average financial literacy (48.96) which is smaller than 60, is resulted teachers are not financially
literate. In table 2, the financial literacy test results have been presented separately in three given levels.
Table 2: T-test results of an independent sample at three levels (savings, borrowing and spending,
insurance and pension)
Test value = 60
Saving Borrowing and spending Insurance and pension
-8.456 -9.578 1.414 t
191 191 191 df
0.000 0.000 0.159 sig
-13.77604 -15.53385 2.70833 Average difference
confidence level: 95%
-16.9895 -18.7329 -1.0704
(bottom)
confidence level: 95%
-10.5626 -12.3348 -6.4871
(up)
Using t-test for an independent sample in the saving first part case: According to the statistic t (-8.456)
and the p (0.000) that has been less than 0.05, the null hypothesis is rejected at the 95% significance level,
namely, the average saving literacy is not equal to 60, according to the average saving literacy (46.22)
that has been smaller than 60, teachers have been educated in terms of savings.
In the second part case of the borrowing and spending, according to the statistic t (-9.578) and the p
(0.000) that has been less than 0.05, the null hypothesis is rejected at 95 % confidence level, namely, the
average borrowing and spending literacy is not equal to 60, according to the average borrowing and
spending literacy (44.47) that has been smaller than 60, is resulted teachers have been not literate in terms
of borrowing and spending. Additionally in the third part case of the insurance and pension, according to
the statistic t (1.414) and the value of p (0.159) that has been less than 0.05, the null hypothesis is not
rejected in the 95% confidence level, namely, the average insurance and pension is equal to 60, according
to the average insurance and pension literacy (62.71) that has been greater than 60, is resulted teachers
have been literate in terms of insurance and pensions.
The relationship between teachers' financial literacy and demographic variables; have been examined in
the second main hypothesis in 5 sub-hypotheses formats. In these hypotheses, two independent samples t-
Copyright 2014 | Centre for Info Bio Technology (CIBTech) 1148
Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences ISSN: 2231 6345 (Online)
An Open Access, Online International Journal Available at http:// http://www.cibtech.org/sp.ed/jls/2014/01/jls.htm
2014 Vol. 4 (S1) April-June, pp. 1143-1152/Bahonar and Sadrabadi
Research Article
test have been used to examine the relationship between teachers' financial literacy, gender and marital
status.
In addition, in order to examine the relationship between teachers' financial literacy with age, education
level and working degree has been used the homogeneity test and ANOVA. In variance homogeneity test
has been used from Levine's statistic and p-value and in one-way ANOVA from statistic F and
significance level of 95%. Table 3 shows a summary of the results obtained from testing these sub-
hypotheses.
To test the Third main hypothesis, financial prosperity has been measured in the range of five-point Likert
and score for each individual has been compared with the number 3. Using t-test for an independent
sample, existence of the average financial well-being equity to value 3. Table 4 shows the results of t-test.
According to the statistic t (1.744) and the value of p (0.083) that is not less than 0.05, the null hypothesis
is not rejected at the 95% significance level. Namely, average financial prosperity is equal to 3 that
considering he average 3, shows teachers are financially well-being.
The relationship between financial literacy and demographic characteristics of the teachers has been
investigated versus the five sub-hypotheses in the fourth main hypothesis. Table 5 shows a summary from
test the results of these hypotheses. Consistent with the fifth original hypothesis in study the relationship
between literacy and financial prosperity teachers has been used Pearson's correlation coefficient. In
Table 6, considering the correlation coefficient (-0.056) and the p (0.446) which is greater than 0.05, the
null hypothesis is not rejected. It can be said that in 95% confidence level between financial literacy and
financial well-being of teachers, there is no significant relationship. Thus, t he hypothesis is rejected at the
95% significance level.
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