Reconceptualizing STEAM Education as a Transformative Framework for Sustainability and Global Competence: A Systematic and Critical Review (2014–2024)

(1) Background: The global educational landscape increasingly necessitates pedagogical approaches capable of addressing complex socio-environmental challenges. While STEAM education is widely adopted, its contribution to the 2030 Agenda and Global Competence requires further theoretical consolidation. This study proposes a reconceptualization of STEAM as a Transformative STEAM Framework, explicitly aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 5, and 10, as well as the development of Global Competence. (2) Methods: Guided by PRISMA 2020 principles for study retrieval, a search for peer-reviewed research, literature reviews, and relevant institutional documents conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC yielded a final corpus of 32 studies (2014–2024). A multi-layered methodological design was applied, integrating a Critical Interpretive Synthesis (CIS) framework for conceptual evaluation alongside a hybrid thematic synthesis to ensure rigorous data coding. (3) Results: The findings indicate that STEAM bolsters Global Competence by fostering intercultural interaction and critical thinking, demonstrating robust alignment with quality education (SDG 4) and gender equality (SDG 5). However, significant gaps remain concerning broader structural inequalities (SDG 10) and the paucity of validated, multidimensional assessment tools for evaluating Global Competence. (4) Conclusions: This review establishes a conceptual framework that positions STEAM as a catalyst for equity and the 2030 Agenda. To realize its transformative potential, future research must explicitly address the reduction in inequalities and develop robust assessment mechanisms.