Advancing social entrepreneurship education through complex thinking: innovative trends in Latin American higher education

Purpose This study examines the relationship between complex thinking and social innovation among 144 university students from Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, and Chile who participated in a social entrepreneurship course. Specifically, it aims to analyze the role of complex thinking as a key competency in advancing social entrepreneurship education, by exploring how its core dimensions contribute to the development of social innovation capacities in Latin American higher education contexts. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a quantitative pre–post research design with a sample of 144 university students from Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, and Chile who participated in a course-based social entrepreneurship learning experience. Validated instruments were used to measure students' perceived achievement of complex thinking (systemic, scientific, critical, and innovative thinking) and social innovation-related competencies. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the relationships between competencies and the effects of the educational intervention. Findings The results indicate that innovative thinking showed the strongest association with complex thinking, while complex thinking shows a strong and significant relationship with social innovation competencies. In addition, resilience and management skills were found to positively influence students' perceived capacity to generate and lead socially innovative initiatives. The pre–post analysis revealed significant improvements in students' commitment to social causes and their self-perception as agents of social change following the intervention. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by its sample size and reliance on self-reported data, which may introduce biases. Longitudinal studies and broader contextual diversity are recommended to validate the adaptability of these training strategies in global business ecosystems. Practical implications The findings provide empirical evidence to support the integration of complex thinking as an innovative trend in social entrepreneurship education. They suggest that business and entrepreneurial education programs should incorporate interdisciplinary, practice-oriented learning experiences that intentionally foster complex thinking, resilience and management skills to better prepare students for addressing contemporary social challenges. Originality/value This study contributes to current debates on innovative trends and challenges in business and entrepreneurial education by empirically linking complex thinking with social entrepreneurship training in Latin American higher education contexts. It offers a transferable educational perspective for advancing entrepreneurship education through competency-based and socially oriented pedagogical approaches.