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Educational Pathways for Sustainable Development: How Performance Feedback Shapes Green Innovation Learning

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Title: Educational Pathways for Sustainable Development: How Performance Feedback Shapes Green Innovation Learning
Language: English
Authors: Ning Wang (ORCID 0000-0001-8243-0829), Xiaotong Zhu (ORCID 0009-0005-5336-5649), Fei Li (ORCID 0000-0001-8560-2307), Fuqi Liang (ORCID 0000-0002-6286-9495), Peizhu Xin (ORCID 0000-0002-3128-6692)
Source: European Journal of Education. 2026 61(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Sustainable Development, Feedback (Response), Workplace Learning, Sustainability, Foreign Countries, Performance, Occupational Aspiration, Innovation, Influences, Corporations
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1111/ejed.70694
ISSN: 0141-8211
1465-3435
Abstract: Workplace education for sustainable development has become an important yet underexplored pathway through which organizations translate sustainability goals into concrete learning and innovation practices. While firms are increasingly expected to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, their engagement in green innovation learning is often constrained by weak learning motivation and insufficient sustainability-related capabilities. Drawing on firm behavioural theory and organizational learning theory, this study examines how performance feedback shapes corporate green innovation learning and how internal and external educational mechanisms influence this process. Using panel data from Chinese listed firms, we distinguish between performance aspiration deficits and performance aspiration surpluses and further differentiate exploitative and exploratory forms of green innovation learning. The results show that performance aspiration deficits have an inverted U-shaped relationship with green innovation learning: moderate deficits stimulate learning, whereas excessive deficits generate defensive contraction, with firms showing a stronger tendency towards exploitative green innovation learning. By contrast, performance aspiration surpluses exhibit a U-shaped relationship with green innovation learning: moderate surpluses tend to produce learning inertia, whereas substantial surpluses provide resources and confidence for renewed learning, particularly exploratory green innovation learning. More importantly, workplace green education significantly strengthens these relationships. Institutionalized environmental training, green knowledge-sharing activities and internal learning routines help firms transform performance pressure into sustainability-oriented learning actions by reshaping managerial cognition, enhancing employee capabilities, and stabilizing organizational learning routines. Government green education policies also play a positive moderating role by creating regional educational infrastructures through green publicity, technical training and knowledge dissemination, thereby improving managers' environmental literacy and reducing barriers to green knowledge acquisition. From the perspective of education for sustainable development, this study extends existing research by conceptualizing firms as important sites of workplace sustainability learning and by demonstrating how internal and public educational mechanisms jointly shape organizational responses to performance feedback. The findings provide empirical evidence for advancing sustainable development education beyond formal schooling and highlight the importance of educational governance in promoting corporate green transformation.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506890
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Educational Pathways for Sustainable Development: How Performance Feedback Shapes Green Innovation Learning
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ning+Wang%22">Ning Wang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8243-0829">0000-0001-8243-0829</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xiaotong+Zhu%22">Xiaotong Zhu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5336-5649">0009-0005-5336-5649</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fei+Li%22">Fei Li</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8560-2307">0000-0001-8560-2307</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fuqi+Liang%22">Fuqi Liang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6286-9495">0000-0002-6286-9495</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Peizhu+Xin%22">Peizhu Xin</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3128-6692">0000-0002-3128-6692</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22European+Journal+of+Education%22"><i>European Journal of Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 61(2).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 15
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sustainable+Development%22">Sustainable Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Feedback+%28Response%29%22">Feedback (Response)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Workplace+Learning%22">Workplace Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sustainability%22">Sustainability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Performance%22">Performance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Occupational+Aspiration%22">Occupational Aspiration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Innovation%22">Innovation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Influences%22">Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Corporations%22">Corporations</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
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  Data: 10.1111/ejed.70694
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0141-8211<br />1465-3435
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Workplace education for sustainable development has become an important yet underexplored pathway through which organizations translate sustainability goals into concrete learning and innovation practices. While firms are increasingly expected to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, their engagement in green innovation learning is often constrained by weak learning motivation and insufficient sustainability-related capabilities. Drawing on firm behavioural theory and organizational learning theory, this study examines how performance feedback shapes corporate green innovation learning and how internal and external educational mechanisms influence this process. Using panel data from Chinese listed firms, we distinguish between performance aspiration deficits and performance aspiration surpluses and further differentiate exploitative and exploratory forms of green innovation learning. The results show that performance aspiration deficits have an inverted U-shaped relationship with green innovation learning: moderate deficits stimulate learning, whereas excessive deficits generate defensive contraction, with firms showing a stronger tendency towards exploitative green innovation learning. By contrast, performance aspiration surpluses exhibit a U-shaped relationship with green innovation learning: moderate surpluses tend to produce learning inertia, whereas substantial surpluses provide resources and confidence for renewed learning, particularly exploratory green innovation learning. More importantly, workplace green education significantly strengthens these relationships. Institutionalized environmental training, green knowledge-sharing activities and internal learning routines help firms transform performance pressure into sustainability-oriented learning actions by reshaping managerial cognition, enhancing employee capabilities, and stabilizing organizational learning routines. Government green education policies also play a positive moderating role by creating regional educational infrastructures through green publicity, technical training and knowledge dissemination, thereby improving managers' environmental literacy and reducing barriers to green knowledge acquisition. From the perspective of education for sustainable development, this study extends existing research by conceptualizing firms as important sites of workplace sustainability learning and by demonstrating how internal and public educational mechanisms jointly shape organizational responses to performance feedback. The findings provide empirical evidence for advancing sustainable development education beyond formal schooling and highlight the importance of educational governance in promoting corporate green transformation.
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  Data: 2026
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        Value: 10.1111/ejed.70694
    Languages:
      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 15
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Sustainable Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Feedback (Response)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Workplace Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sustainability
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Performance
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      – SubjectFull: Occupational Aspiration
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      – SubjectFull: Innovation
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      – SubjectFull: Influences
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      – SubjectFull: Corporations
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      – SubjectFull: China
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      – TitleFull: Educational Pathways for Sustainable Development: How Performance Feedback Shapes Green Innovation Learning
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