Technological Competences: A Systematic Review of the Literature in 22 Years of Study

Abstract

In this Systematic Review of the Literature (SRL) the term “technological competence” is analyzed. The analysis is conducted within the areas of knowledge in which the term has been studied, considering the definitions that have been associated to the term, the approaches proposed by the authors that make use of the term, the transformation of the concept throughout the time, and the boundaries of application with other similar terms, such as technological capability and technological skill. A total of 140 publications focused on technological competences are analyzed. The publications correspond to a time span ranging from 1994 to 2016, and include research articles from recognized databases and, to a lesser extent, gray literature articles. Finally, the term technological competence applied in the productive sector is redefined such as it allows focusing on projects for technological absorption or training in industry.