Carmela Aprea

Prof. Dr. Carmela Aprea serves as Professor of Business Education at the University of Mannheim's Business School, holding the Chair of Business Education – Design and Evaluation of Instructional Systems since spring 2018. She co-directs the Mannheim Institute for Financial Education (MIFE) with Professor Tabea Bucher-Koenen and previously held professorships at Friedrich Schiller University Jena (2015-2018) and the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Lugano (2010-2015), with visiting appointments across Europe and Israel.

Her educational background includes:

• Business Education, Psychology, and Business Administration studies at Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, graduating as a commercial teacher (Diplom-Handelslehrerin) in 1997
• Doctorate from the University of Mannheim in 2007 focusing on business-related learning environment design

Aprea's research centers on financial and economic education for the 21st century, sustainability education, and vocational learning in digital transformation, with particular emphasis on resilience in educational contexts and curriculum development. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks like the Theory of Planned Behavior with practical applications in gamified learning environments and teacher training.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals three dominant trends: (1) Financial resilience research examining psychological and social dimensions of economic stress, (2) Pension literacy development through innovative educational tools like gamification, and (3) Vocational teacher well-being studies addressing workload and digital transformation challenges. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates finance, psychology, and educational technology to address contemporary economic education needs.

Scientific awards are not documented in the provided materials.

Regarding advising and research funding, the text indicates active projects requiring student/research assistants but provides no specific student names or grant details. Her leadership of MIFE demonstrates institutional research coordination, including the upcoming fifth annual conference on financial education.

As co-director of the Mannheim Institute for Financial Education (MIFE), Aprea leads a research hub producing influential studies like the 2025 MetallRente Youth Study on youth pension attitudes. The institute serves as her primary research platform, connecting academic work with practical financial education initiatives across Germany.