The eComplexity instrument aims to measure the perception of achievement in the complex thinking competency and its sub-competencies. To ensure the reliability of this instrument, validation processes like the one presented in this article are necessary. Methodologically, this study evaluates data from 1,037 university students in Mexico, confirming the statistical validity and reliability of the instrument. As a result, the demonstrated reliability of the eComplexity instrument as a tool for measuring perceived achievements in complex thinking provides a valuable resource for assessing the effectiveness of educational interventions. Consequently, this research contributes to a more informed approach to fostering critical thinking skills, benefiting both theoretical exploration and practical application in educational settings. The study employs the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate students’ self-perceptions of their performance in complex thinking and its sub-competencies, thus advancing the field of educational measurement. Academically, it enriches the discourse on the design and validation of instruments, offering a rigorous model for future efforts in measuring cognitive competencies. Practically, the study’s results inform educational practice by identifying systemic and scientific thinking as key to developing complex thinking skills. This knowledge enables educators to more effectively adapt teaching strategies and curricular designs, aiming to enhance students’ ability to navigate the complexities of the modern world.

This article presents the results of a study conducted on a sample population of students attending a technological university in western Mexico. The development of the entrepreneurial self-efficacy competency was evaluated within a process of ideation of social entrepreneurship projects to develop social entrepreneurship and complex thinking competencies. A multivariate descriptive analysis was implemented to demonstrate possible statistically significant correlations between the competencies of social entrepreneurship, complex thinking, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The results confirm the correlations between the competencies of social entrepreneurship, complex thinking, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, concluding that there is statistically significant information to indicate that the complex thinking competency positively impacts not only the process of generating social entrepreneurship projects but also the scaling of entrepreneurs’ perceptions about their capabilities at the time of entrepreneurship. At a practical level, this study presents results that argue for the need to develop complex thinking in students in social entrepreneurship programs, both in universities and in organizations that promote entrepreneurship. It confirms that complex thinking is a valuable competency in the ideation and generation of entrepreneurial proposals.

Human well-being is a dynamic and changing concept as it depends on personal, social, cultural, and political factors and varies over time according to individual circumstances. Therefore, it is essential to address this issue from a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, seeking that individuals, from an early age, manage to develop skills and attitudes that allow them to achieve a balance in their lives. This article presents the results of the measurement of students’ perceived achievement of the competence of complex thinking in a subject focused on human development. Specifically, the research sought to identify whether there is a relationship between the level of critical thinking and the acquisition of skills associated with human well-being. The selection of critical thinking is based on the fact that this cognitive ability is one of the subcompetencies included in complex thinking. The sample was a group of university students from different disciplines and educational levels. Methodologically, descriptive analyses were made on the means of students’ responses to a validated instrument measuring the perceived achievement of complex thinking competency and its subcompetencies and the final evaluations of the students’ course. In conclusion, an improvement in the perception of achievement of complex thinking competency and its subcompetencies is demonstrated in the students, with critical thinking that achieved the best means, its increase being significant for the whole group and for women but not for men. In this sense, although it was not possible to demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between the development of this subcompetency and the acquisition of tools associated with well-being, data showing a possible association between these elements were obtained.

Complex thinking is a cognitive skill that focuses on the integrated analysis and synthesis of information with a systemic and critical perspective that enables creative decision-making in the face of complex realities or challenges. At the educational level, it is valued as a transdisciplinary competency, meaning it is relevant for individuals regardless of their profession or field of study. This article presents the results of measuring the perceived achievement of complex thinking among 830 graduating students from a technological university in Mexico, aiming to identify possible significant differences based on their discipline or major. Methodologically, a multivariate descriptive statistical analysis was performed using R and RStudio software, including calculation of means and standard deviations, violin plots, boxplot and ANOVA significance analysis, and t-test. The results show that the differences were not statistically significant in all the disciplines, although it is possible to note significant differences, which reveals a differentiated behavior in the process of formation and development of complex thinking according to the discipline of study. In conclusion, the present study shows that the students’ areas of training are associated with differences in perception of complex thinking and its associated sub-competencies, thus differentiating this ability in their graduation profile. This article contributes to the existing literature on the formation and development of complex thinking and its sub-competencies as relevant professional skills for lifelong learning.