Education for sustainable development is essential for the well-being of present and future generations and is one of the key objectives in the discipline of home economics. The purpose of this research was to ascertain whether in-service teachers of home economics recognise the opportunities to educate students about sustainable development in their courses and if they can identify the topics related to sustainable development that they can integrate into the subject of home economics. To determine this, a study using a questionnaire with a non-random sample of 89 Slovenian in-service home economics teachers was conducted. The results were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. According to the research results, in-service home economics teachers understand that the topics of the subject promote education for sustainable development. They see the most opportunities for integrating sustainable topics arising in the fields of food and living environments, and less in economics and textiles. This is evident because sustainability topics are predominantly connected to food and the living environment classes in the current education system. Based on the research results, it can be deduced that in-service home economics teachers should be offered ongoing professional development in order to achieve the competences needed to teach sustainable development as part of the home economics subject. The need to update the curriculum of this subject has emerged as it offers numerous opportunities to educate the young in topics related to sustainable living.

Relevant teacher qualifications that include specialist knowledge and knowledge in didactics significantly influence the level of achievement of education goals during the teaching process. Teacher's perception of their own professional competence to teach may depend on their qualification which is linked to the education obtained. The purpose of the research was to find out how teachers who teach Home Economics in Slovenian elementary schools estimate their competence to teach Home Economics contents, in reference to their formal education. 89 teachers of 5th and 6th grade Home Economics participated in the research. They were classified according to their formal education, either in the group with completed Home Economics studies (relevant education) or in the group without these studies (irrelevant education). A questionnaire was developed for the teachers to assess their own teaching competence. The obtained data was analysed with descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results indicated that teachers with completed home economics studies who teach Home Economics feel more competent to teach Home Economics contents than teachers without completed relevant studies. Differences in their perceptions exist in all four Home Economics modules, i.e. economics, textile and clothing, living and environment, food and nutrition. This leads to the conclusion that relevant teacher education is important for teaching Home Economics in all specialist areas of home economics education. As regards providing quality education process and achieving Home Economics education goals, the results indicate that relevant qualifications of teachers should be ensured. Teachers with irrelevant education should be provided with additional professional training. Key words: teachers' education, teachers' competencies, Home Economics, Home Economics teachers, home economics education.

The purpose of this study was to examine how primary school children who had already fi nished learning about textile topics during Home economics instruction perceived the content of the textile module. Some topics which can be connected with development of sustainable thinking and prudent consumer behaviour were also researched. A total of 106 surveys were collected. The pupils were on average 10.5 years old. The results showed that the pupils were reasonably interested in handicrafts. Most respondents agreed that mastering skills such as sewing or knitting is good because these activities allow pupils to save money and also to express their creativities. The results showed that the transfer of theoretical knowledge in practice is not optimal. Some improvements in the curriculum should be considered in terms of refreshing/updating the textile topics and also the time duration of the textile module.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of gender, age, parent’s education, scholarship and students’ education on students’ confidence in their financial management capability and knowledge. In the research, 259 students participated from two different faculties – the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Economics. This investigation has revealed that the likelihood of students’ confidence in their financial management capability and knowledge is significantly smaller for students who do not specialize in economics or business studies, and for female students. The likelihood of confidence in their financial management capability and knowledge also statistically significantly increases with the father’s educational level, but, interestingly, not with the mother’s. The results also showed, although it is not statistically significant, that students on scholarships on average express a higher confidence in their financial management capability and knowledge. Therefore, the adequacy of the current educational policy (formal and non-formal education) should be considered. Key words: confidence, education, financial literacy, money management, perception.

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