Modeling Changes to Survey Response Items Over Time in a Britain Financial Literacy Education Study

This study develops a general method for modeling changes in response to items relating to students perceptions of personal finance and financial products. The new method is illustrated to analyze data from a sample of 1,250 students aged 16-18 who participated in a financial capability education study in the UK. We demonstrate how a quantitative indicator of the changes in students' responses can be applied in various educational research projects, particularly as a measure of program effectiveness. Predictions are based on prior survey responses, which are taken as relevant historical information for a cohort of students. We find significant changes in the responses of students toward reported career choice following the Financial Literacy Education course at national colleges in the UK.