Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to study the effects of economics instruction by using simulation games on the financial literacy of upper secondary school students. The subject was 33 of grade 10 students in semester 1 of the academic year 2018, in an extra-large secondary school under the Secondary Educational Service Area office 1, Bangkok. The quantitative data collecting instrument was the financial literacy test. The qualitative data collecting instruments were the discussion notes and the learning logs. The experimental instruments were the economics lesson plans using simulation games. The duration of the experiment was 16 periods within 8 weeks, 2 periods of 50 minutes each, per week. The quantitative data were analyzed by using the t-test. The qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. The research results were as follows: 1. The students who had been taught by using simulation games in economics instruction had the higher mean post-test score on the financial literacy than the mean pre-test score at the .05 level of significance, and they had the higher means post-test score on all components of the financial literacy1) Financial Knowledge and Financial Abilities, 2) Financial Attitudes, and 3) the Trend of Financial Behaviorthan the means pre-test score at the .05 level of significance. 2. The students who had been taught by using simulation games in economics instruction had the changes of the financial literacy in ascending order as 1) Financial Knowledge and Financial Abilities, 2) the trend of Financial Behavior, and 3) Financial Attitudes. The changes of each component were as follows: 2.1 Financial Knowledge and Financial Abilities: there were the explicit changes in 1) Analyzing information in a financial context; and 2) Evaluating financial issues. 2.2 Financial Attitudes: there were the explicit changes in 1) Satisfying to spend and save for the long term; and 2) Satisfying to financial status in the future and now. 2.3 The trend of Financial Behavior: there were the explicit changes in 1) Keeping close watch on personal financial affairs; 2) Setting long term goals and strives to achieve them; 3) Responsibility and having a household budget; and 4) Active saving and buying investments.