The role of learning motivation on financial knowledge among Vietnamese college students

Abstract

Using survey data from 730 undergraduates in Vietnam, we find that learning motivation and its components, especially self-efficacy, finance learning value, and achievement goals, significantly correlate with students' financial literacy performance. In addition, these correlations are moderated by student characteristics, among which academic seniority, university type, parents' education, and extra math study during high school matter the most. Our results raise significant implications to policymakers, researchers, and educators that include understanding the role of motivation and incorporating it in financial literacy education and intervention programs and considering the moderation roles that individuals' characteristics play in the motivation-financial literacy link. We encourage more research in these areas.