Digital competencies and entrepreneurship teaching in secondary education: a systematic bibliographic study

Abstract

This study consisted of a systematic and narrative literature review on digital competencies in entrepreneurship education at the high school level, focusing on the context of Ecuador and making comparisons across Latin America. Its purpose was to analyze the academic production published between 2019 and 2025, identifying the most recurrent dimensions of digital competencies, the pedagogical methodologies used, gaps in research, and suggestions to improve educational policies. International databases (Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, SciELO, Redalyc) and academic repositories were reviewed. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 45 studies were selected, classified according to the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators. The analysis included bibliometric procedures, descriptive statistics, and qualitative categorization of findings. The findings indicated that basic digital literacy and communication skills in digital spaces were the most mentioned, while content creation, digital marketing, and security were less emphasized. A moderate positive relationship between the level of digital competencies and entrepreneurial intention was observed, along with significant progress in active methodologies, such as project-based learning, compared to traditional methods. Urban/rural comparisons highlighted significant gaps in technological access and teacher training. Overall, the literature confirms that digital competencies influence entrepreneurship education for high school students, although their development is uneven and lacks a regionally adapted pedagogical framework. It is recommended to advance educational policies, teacher training, and empirical research that integrate advanced digital competencies to reduce inequalities and strengthen youth entrepreneurship in Latin America