An exploratory analysis of visualization techniques and tools for financial education

Financial literacy plays a vital role in everyday life, enabling individuals to manage spending, save for goals, and make sound financial decisions. However, for many people acquiring financial knowledge remains challenging due to the complexity of concepts and a lack of motivation. Data visualization offers a promising approach by helping learners better understand complex ideas and making learning more engaging. Despite its potential, few studies have thoroughly examined its application in financial education. This paper presents an exploratory analysis of the use of data visualization in this field. We analyze commonly used visualization tools and the dimensions of financial visualization education, develop taxonomies for key dimensions, identify their patterns and relationships. We also provide recommendations for future visualization tools in financial education. Furthermore, we propose a visualization-centric pedagogical framework for financial education. Unlike generic instructional design models, this framework is empirically grounded in our review and explicitly specifies where and how visualization techniques and tools should be embedded in the financial education process, thereby addressing the current lack of domain-specific guidance. Our findings aim to support financial educators and visualization professionals in applying effective visualization strategies, while also offering researchers a foundation for further investigation into the role of visualization in financial learning.