From the Classroom to Publication: Scientific Production of Ecuadorian Teachers in Indexed Journals

Abstract

Introduction: teachers’ scientific production is an indicator of professional development and educational commitment. In Ecuador, there is no systematic record characterizing authors, topics, and institutional affiliations in nationally indexed journals.
Objective: to analyze the scientific production published by teachers of the Ecuadorian National Education System in journals indexed in Latindex Catálogo 2.0 during the 2020–2024 period.
Methods: a retrospective bibliometric documentary analysis was conducted on articles published between January 2020 and December 2024. A total of 218 active Ecuadorian journals indexed in Latindex Catálogo 2.0 were reviewed, recording authorship, institutional affiliation, research line, methodology, educational level, and gender.
Results: a total of 1,114 articles were identified in 63 journals. Social Sciences and the line of Educational Technologies predominated. Co-authorship was the norm, with 4,502 signatures and an average of 3.34 authors per article, while a gender gap persisted. More than half of the studies did not address a specific educational level, and rural and early childhood education were marginally represented. Methodological diversity was observed, with a balanced distribution of quantitative, qualitative, and review approaches.
Conclusions: The study provides a national baseline of teachers’ scientific production, highlighting strengths and thematic gaps. The findings support reorienting the agenda toward underserved areas and consolidating deliberate capacity-building strategies—such as thesis by scientific article—aimed at strengthening teachers’ research professionalization and the international projection of their production.