This paper analyses the bibliometric characteristics of 616 journal articles on key competences indexed in ERIC in a 23-year-period following documentary analysis. This observation method allowed us to highlight key elements like the population, educational level, topics, etc. to focus whether this literature contributes towards implementing competence-based education. The findings of key competence-based articles confirm that competence discourse in education has become a highly rated topic of debate from 1999 to 2013. In the two last decades, there has been a gradual increase in articles based on research combined with a decline in articles of a descriptive nature. The main contributions of articles on competency-based education are significantly in line with topics related to reflection on competence discourse and education policies that should be implemented. There is still a clear need for publications which provide examples and empirical evidence aimed at developing basic competences. © 2017 Association for Teacher Education in Europe.
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