Economics Educators’ Preparedness towards Integrating Digital Financial Literacy in Economics for Economic Growth in Anambra State

Abstract

This study investigated the preparedness of economics educators towards integrating digital financial literacy, specifically across digital financial inclusion, FinTech applications, and e-commerce into Economics instruction for economic growth in Anambra State, and examined whether years of teaching experience significantly differentiates this preparedness. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The population comprised 111 Economics Education lecturers drawn from four public tertiary institutions in Anambra State; a census technique was employed, covering the entire population. Data were collected using a structured 21-item questionnaire, the Economics Educators’ Preparedness for Digital Financial Literacy Questionnaire (EEPDFLQ), validated by three experts and yielding a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.82. Items across the three clusters assessed preparedness across four dimensions: awareness of concepts and curriculum relevance, instructional competence, confidence in integration, and adequacy of assessment preparedness. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, with a criterion mean of 2.50, while independent samples t-tests were used to test the three null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that Economics educators are marginally prepared in digital financial inclusion (cluster mean = 2.53) and FinTech applications (cluster mean = 2.51), but are not prepared to integrate e-commerce (cluster mean = 2.49). Across all three domains, preparedness was stronger on awareness-related items and weaker on instructional application, confidence, and assessment dimensions, indicating that conceptual familiarity has not translated into applied pedagogical readiness. No significant difference was found in preparedness scores based on years of teaching experience across all three domains (p > 0.05 in all cases), indicating that the deficiency is systemic rather than experience-related. The study concludes that targeted professional development programmes focused on applied FinTech and e-commerce pedagogy are urgently required to equip Economics educators for effective digital financial literacy instruction in Anambra State secondary schools.