Competency-based learning in Higher Business Education: a systematic literature review 2017–2025
Keywords:
Competency-based learning; Higher education; Business studies; Authentic assessment; Systematic reviewAbstract
Introduction: The purpose of this study is to analyze the state of the art on competency-based learning in higher education, with an emphasis on business science programs, identifying approaches, advances, barriers, and good practices. Materials and methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. International (Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ERIC/EBSCO, and Google Scholar) and regional (SciELO and Redalyc) databases were consulted, initially recovering 186 records. After eliminating duplicates and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 studies were selected for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Results: The results show that most of the reviewed experiences define competency-based learning as a model focused on clear learning outcomes, mastery progression, authentic assessment, and formative feedback. Discussion: Advances in curriculum design, integration of transversal and digital competencies, and standardized assessment models such as Meta4CBC and C-A&M are identified. However, barriers persist, such as resistance to teaching change, weak university-business connections, and difficulties in assessing soft skills such as leadership, communication, and ethics. Conclusions: Finally, competency-based learning has great potential to improve the relevance and quality of university education in business sciences, provided that institutional policies, collaboration with the productive sector, specialized assessment, and teacher training are strengthened.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ferdinan Nuñez-Furo, Walter Ortiz-Meza , Octavio Cesar Marín-Chávez, Nidia Alegría-Herrera

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