Enhancing College Students' Self-Efficacy in Fintech Education Through a Comprehensive Learning Strategy: A Quasi-Experimental Study

With the integration of financial technology (FinTech) into the financial industry, developing students' FinTech competencies has become essential for their future employment. However, FinTech education presents unique challenges as it combines knowledge from finance, mathematics, and information technology. University students often struggle with the multidisciplinary nature of FinTech courses, leading to decreased learning effectiveness and diminished interest. This study addresses these challenges by implementing an integrated teaching method that incorporates problem-based learning environments, industry expert scaffolding, mastery learning, project-based learning, and cooperative learning strategies. The designed approach aims to accommodate students from different academic backgrounds while maintaining their engagement and understanding of FinTech concepts. By considering the theoretical positive correlation between self-efficacy and FinTech competencies, this project expects to enhance both students' self-efficacy and their FinTech capabilities, ultimately improving their employability in the evolving financial sector. We used pre- and post-test questionnaires to assess students' self-efficacy across 17 dimensions in areas including mathematics, programming, and financial mathematics. Results indicate significant self-efficacy improvements in 5 out of 17 dimensions among students in classes using the integrated teaching method intervention.