This project was made possible through excellent collaboration between the Ministry of Education of Panama, BID e @povertyaction.bsky.social

Contrary to the position taken by some critics of ethnomathematics education, our findings indicate that a well-designed ethnomathematics program can reduce the indigenous achievement gap without putting students in a dilemma between their academic learning and their identity.

In many indigenous contexts, teachers often lack proficiency in the children’s native language or cultural understanding. Our findings show that participating teachers improved their ethnomathematics and Ngäbere language skills, and became more knowledgeable about Ngäbe culture.

Our results indicate positive effects of the program on the mathematical and ethnomathematical skills of students. Additionally, and consistently with other studies, we find that the program has a positive effect on the cultural identity of students.

We evaluated an intercultural bilingual program (JADENKÄ) designed to enhance the mathematical and ethnomathematical skills of Ngäbe preschoolers in the comarca Ngäbe-Buglé region of Panama.