Educação financeira nas escolas: caminhos para promover a qualidade de Vida

Abstract

Financial Education is a topic included as a contemporary transversal theme in the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), that has been widely discussed in various fields, both inside and outside of school environment. It has been featured in Brazilian and international scientific literature and has drawn the interest of both private and governmental initiatives, as it is tied to citizenship education and the concerning scenario of high population indebtedness. This study investigates the following question: "How can Financial Education in schools promote students' quality of life?". To address this question, a qualitative bibliographical and documentary research approach was chosen, focusing on the historical aspects and concepts of Financial Education, as well as Financial Education in the BNCC and the Minas Gerais curriculum. Data were gathered from the instructional proposal presented in Ferreira's (2022) master's thesis and the Financial Education Booklet published by the Central Bank of Brazil. Data analysis was carried out using Bardin's (2016) Content Analysis, which enabled the construction of three categories: Planning and Risk Reduction; Conscious Decision-Making; and Investment and Fulfillment of Dreams. The interpretation of these categories highlights the importance of well-structured pedagogical proposals that take into account students' lived experiences and foster not only the understanding of Financial Mathematics related to interest rates and inflation, but also the development of autonomy, conscious decision-making, and critical thinking among students—elements crucial for promoting their quality of life.