Nivel de conocimiento matemático de los maestros en ejercicio: un estudio descriptivo en la educación primaria

The objective of this study was to determine the level of mathematical knowledge possessed by practicing teachers through a descriptive study in primary education in Panama. The research was conducted using a quantitative approach, with an emphasis on the positivist paradigm, and is classified as descriptive, non-experimental, and cross-sectional research. The population consisted of teachers from the country's 16 educational regions, from which a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 1,581 teachers was selected. For data collection, a 46-item test was administered, designed based on the content established in the official primary education curriculum. The results show that 58.2% of teachers have a command of the areas assessed in mathematics, while 41.8% do not achieve an adequate level of knowledge. Both nationally and in the different educational regions, significant disparities are observed, with a predominance of mathematical knowledge levels classified as “low” and “basic.” These results highlight the urgent need to strengthen teacher training and ensure continuous training processes in all educational regions.