STOCK MARKET AWARENESS, RISK PERCEPTION, AND INVESTMENT INTEREST AMONG TEENAGERS: A PRIMARY STUDY OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

This study examines stock market awareness, risk perception, and investment interest among teenagers, with a particular focus on high school students. The study aims to understand teenagers awareness of the stock market and examine how their perception of investment risk is related to their interest in investing. A quantitative, descriptive, and correlational research design was adopted, and primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire consisting of 15 statements using a five-point Likert scale. The collected responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability and validity tests, and correlation analysis. The study also considers the role of financial education, school education, family influence, media, and social platforms in shaping teenagers’ understanding of investment. The findings indicate that respondents generally demonstrated awareness of the stock market and recognised that stock market investing involves risk, while their interest in learning about and participating in investing was relatively strong. The study found that stock market awareness did not have a statistically significant relationship with investment interest. However, risk perception showed a significant negative relationship with investment interest, indicating that respondents with stronger concerns about investment risk tended to show lower interest in investing. The findings also highlight a strong perceived need for financial education, as respondents expressed that greater financial education could improve their confidence in investing.