Setting the Record Straight: Recording the Global Contribution to Education Research of Panamanian Scholar Etilvia Arjona Chang Education Research of Panamanian Scholar Etilvia Arjona Chang

Abstract

As documented extensively, the academic publications and accomplishments of women scholars—particularly those from developing regions—are underrepresented in global and national literature, databases, and indices. This feminist biographical case study explores and makes visible the life and work of Panamanian Dr. Etilvia Arjona Chang and her global contribution to education research. This article describes her earlier decades devoted to expanding and modernizing the translation and interpretation (T&I) discipline worldwide. It also examines her development of Panama’s first education research programs in later decades of her career and how her previous T&I experience provided the foundation for present-day Panamanian education research. This article presents her body of work along with its interdisciplinary theoretical and practical impact on multiple sub-disciplines. It positions the discussion within the historical context in which she lived, the prevailing realities governing education research at the time, and the sociopolitical environments where she worked. This study combines methodological elements of feminist biography, scholarly chronicle, and participant observation. It relies primarily on secondary research, supplemented with interviews of national and international key informants, as well as the author’s personal involvement in collaborative initiatives in this field. It contributes to national and global knowledge production on the evolution of education research and simultaneously highlights the contribution of women scholars, detailing challenges and triumphs particular to women in academia in different countries of the world.