Refresher Training for financial literacy teachers
Text and photo: Eva Marcus, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA)
Wednesday 24th September 2019, 100 secondary school teachers gathered in the city of Utrecht for a refresher training on financial literacy as part of the business economics course they teach in secondary school. Dutch students of the of the two highest vocational levels in secondary school can choose this course as part of their curriculum.
Multiple organizers
The refresher training was organized by LEEC, a partnership of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the teacher training institute of the University of Amsterdam and faculty of Education of the Amsterdam University of applied sciences (HvA).
The day started with a keynote by lecturer and PhD candidate Aisa Amagir of the HvA on the financial literacy in the Netherlands, how it effects secondary school students and what changes need to be made in our curriculum to best suit students’ needs.
Practical workshops
In the afternoon the teachers could choose from a variety of workshops. Household as a small entrepreneurship was one of the workshops, given by Theo Roos, a lecturer at the HvA.
Another workshop, given by lecturers Titia Boerrigter and Eva Marcus, both from the HvA, was about new didactical insights in de financial literacy education domain, for example how to work with life events, (e.g. student loans) in the classroom.
The responses from teachers were very positive, bringing them new insights to the subject they teach every day. Because of these enthusiastic responses and a waiting list to participate in the training, plans are to organize another training day on financial literacy in January 2020.