The increasing complexity characterizing the current socioeconomic system, combined with the transfer of financial responsibility from governments to citizens and the ongoing challenges posed by globalization, make economic and financial literacy a priority in the education of citizens from early childhood. Introducing economic and financial education programs starting in primary school enables pupils to become aware, responsible, and active citizens, capable of pursuing well-being not only at a personal level but also collectively. A society that is economically and financially competent benefits both at the individual level – by promoting informed financial decision-making and enhancing resilience – and at the systemic level, by helping to reduce inequalities, promote inclusivity, and support sustainable economic reforms.

Given national and international studies that demonstrate low levels of economic and financial literacy across all continents and age groups, in Italy, in March 2024, the Senate approved a law mandating the introduction of economic and financial education into the school curriculum starting from primary school, as part of citizenship education. However, to date, Italy does not provide training or professional development courses for in-service teachers, and in most Italian universities, future educators receive no specific training on these topics.

To address this need, in 2024, the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano established the LabEE – Economic Education Lab research group, aiming to develop projects in economic education to support both primary school pupils and teachers, as well as students enrolled in Primary Education programs.

After conducting a thorough review of the existing literature, the research team designed an assessment questionnaire, administered between January and February 2025 to all students enrolled in the Faculty of Primary Education, to address the following research questions:
- RQ1: What is the level of economic and financial literacy among students in the Faculty of Primary Education at UNIBZ?
- RQ2: What is their perception regarding the introduction of economic and financial education in their academic curriculum, and which modalities do they consider most effective?

The questionnaire consists of three sections: the first part gathers general information on students’ educational background, family context, and financial habits and behaviors; the second section assesses the respondents’ level of economic and financial literacy; and the third section explores their perspectives on integrating economic and financial education into their academic curriculum.

A preliminary descriptive analysis confirms a low level of economic and financial literacy, with slightly better performance on economic-related questions compared to financial ones. Furthermore, most students recognize the need to introduce a specific training program within their academic curriculum, either through dedicated workshops or as a standalone theoretical course. These initial findings underscore the importance of integrating economic and financial education into the academic training of future teachers, ensuring that they feel adequately prepared to foster the widespread development of competences from primary school onwards.

Keywords: Financial and economic education, Primary education, Pre-service teacher education, Academic curriculum, Italian educational policy.