Transdisciplinarity as a pedagogical practice in Higher Education: a bibliometric study through the Tree of Science (ToS)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2025-1312

Keywords:

transdisciplinarity, bibliometric, science tree, pedagogical practice, higher education, knowledge, entrepreneurial education, sustainable development

Abstract

Introduction: This article aims to identify whether transdisciplinarity is developed as a pedagogical practice in higher education through a bibliometric study using the Tree of Science tool. Methodology: The methodology begins with a documentary review of 201 articles published in the Web of Science database, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data is then processed using the Tree of Science (ToS) tool, which applies graph metrics and the SAP algorithm to connect key literature and classify it through a citation network represented as a tree metaphor, where the roots are classic articles, the trunk is structural, and the leaves represent trends. Results: Two main trends were identified: transdisciplinarity for sustainable development and pedagogical strategies for transdisciplinary education. Discussion: The study concludes that academic actors have tested innovative experiences with a transdisciplinary approach, but further work is needed on unexplored topics, such as transdisciplinarity in entrepreneurship, innovation, ethics, social responsibility, and technological development. These areas are crucial for developing key competencies for sustainability. Conclusions: While there has been progress in transdisciplinary education, ongoing contributions are needed to explore new areas that foster the development of competencies for sustainability.

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Author Biography

María Angélica Cervantes Muñoz, Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina

Business Administrator from the Universidad del Valle de Colombia, Master in Administration from the National University of Colombia and PhD candidate in Business Administration and Management from the Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain. With more than a decade in higher education, I have played key roles ranging from teaching to senior academic management, involving strategic management, promoting educational quality from different substantive functions. Currently, I am linked as a researcher in the Group of Prospective and Strategic Studies -GIEPE- in Colombia.

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Published

2025-01-21

How to Cite

Cervantes Muñoz, M. A. (2025). Transdisciplinarity as a pedagogical practice in Higher Education: a bibliometric study through the Tree of Science (ToS). European Public & Social Innovation Review, 10, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2025-1312

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Section

Education