Fostering Sustainability through Experiential Green Social Entrepreneurship: A Conceptual Approach Using Kolb’s Learning Theory
Abstract
This conceptual paper explores the intersection of sustainability education and social entrepreneurship through an experiential learning lens. While environmental challenges continue to escalate globally, there remains a significant gap in pedagogical approaches that effectively integrate hands-on sustainability education with entrepreneurial thinking, especially among younger learners. This study addresses this gap by proposing a framework grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, focusing on how immersive, community-based environmental activities can cultivate sustainable values, social responsibility, and entrepreneurial skills among youth. The framework is modeled on a structured one-day environmental engagement program involving real-world activities aligned with four stages of Kolb’s learning cycle: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The program design is further mapped to relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The paper finds that such experiential interventions have strong potential in shaping responsible, action-oriented learners and offers a replicable model for integrating green social entrepreneurship into sustainability education. The proposed framework contributes to the growing body of literature by offering a structured pedagogical model that blends environmental stewardship, community engagement, and entrepreneurial learning for youth development.
Downloads
References
Arslan, A., & ?eker, E. (2021). Experiential learning in environmental education: Impacts on secondary school students' attitudes. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 16(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.21601/jeseh.809193
Balsiger, J., Prys-Hansen, M., & Bieri, S. (2022). Beyond awareness: Advancing environmental education through local experiential learning. Environmental Education Research, 28(3), 353–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.2008054
Barros, C., & Pinheiro, M. (2021). Reflective learning for environmental sustainability: Adolescents’ post-program identity formation. Sustainability, 13(7), 3932. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073932
Barth, M., & Rieckmann, M. (2020). Experiential learning in sustainability education: A critical review. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(6), 1121–1139. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2020-0064
Falk, J. H., & Harrison, J. (2018). The role of informal learning in developing sustainability awareness. Environmental Education Research, 24(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1392482
Hedin, N. (2020). Active learning strategies for sustainability education. Journal of Cleaner Production, 267, 122-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122155
Hockerts, K. (2015). The effect of experiential social entrepreneurship education on intention formation in school students. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 6(3), 332–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2015.1089289
Jabareen, Y. (2009). Building a conceptual framework: Philosophy, definitions, and procedure. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 8(4), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690900800406
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2017). The experiential educator: Principles and practices of experiential learning. Kaunakakai, HI: EBLS Press.
Ko, H. C., & Chiu, C. H. (2022). Sustainability through experiential learning: A case study on eco-innovation projects. Sustainability, 14(1), 114. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010114
Kummitha, R. K. R., & Majumdar, S. (2021). Developing eco-social innovation in youth through entrepreneurship education. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 27(8), 1907–1925. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-07-2020-0504
Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2018). Adult learning: Linking theory and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Norazah, M. S., Shahrina, M. N., & Faridahwati, M. S. (2022). Experiential entrepreneurship education in Malaysian higher learning institutions. Asian Academy of Management Journal, 27(1), 23–45. https://doi.org/10.21315/aamj2022.27.1.2
Rowe, A. D., & Gentile, D. (2020). Transformative sustainability education in schools through community-based projects. Journal of Environmental Education, 51(5), 362–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2020.1787313
Sassmannshausen, S. P., & Volkmann, C. (2018). A bibliometric-based review on social entrepreneurship and its role in sustainable development. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 9, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2018.01.002
Sharma, A., Tiwari, G., & Nair, R. (2021). Enhancing eco-social innovation among youth through experiential learning. Sustainability, 13(15), 8562. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158562
Sterling, S. (2021). Educating for the future we want: Transformative learning and sustainability. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 15(2), 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1177/09734082211031565
Tilbury, D. (2011). Education for Sustainable Development: An expert review of processes and learning. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000191442
UNESCO. (2020). Education for Sustainable Development: A roadmap. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374802
Wahab, S. A., Ghazali, M., & Che Hassan, N. A. (2023). Community-integrated experiential education: Impact on youth’s environmental leadership. Journal of Environmental Studies, 9(2), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.60000/jes.2023.9.2.004
Wiek, A., Withycombe Keeler, L., & Schweizer-Ries, P. (2019). Participatory and transdisciplinary sustainability education. Sustainability Science, 14(5), 1283–1295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00675-x
Yuen, C. Y. (2021). Sustainability education in Malaysia: Challenges and opportunities for reform. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 41(3), 415–430. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2021.1921005
Zainudin, S., Hamzah, N., & Hassan, R. (2022). Youth action for sustainability through experiential green programs: Evidence from Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Youth Studies, 16(1), 88–105. https://myjurnal.mohe.gov.my/public/article-view.php?id=180012
Zamzuri, N. H., Jamaludin, H., & Sulaiman, N. A. (2023). Values-based environmental education and youth identity development. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 24(1), 67–79. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-08-2022-0245
Copyright (c) 2025 Norfazlina Ghazali, Nini Hartini Asnawi, Dilla Syadia Ab Latiff, Nor Fazalina Salleh, Lina Nadia Abd Rahim, Nur Atiqah Zakiyyah Ramlee, Norzawani Abd Rahim, Ayu Rohaidah Ghazali, Nur Najjah Abd Rahim, Ahmad Nazri Tashriq Rahmat
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author (s) should affirm that the material has not been published previously. It has not been submitted and it is not under consideration by any other journal. At the same time author (s) need to execute a publication permission agreement to assume the responsibility of the submitted content and any omissions and errors therein. After submission of revised paper in the light of suggestions of the reviewers, the editorial team edits and formats manuscripts to bring uniformity and standardization in published material.
This work will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) and under condition of the license, users are free to read, copy, remix, transform, redistribute, download, print, search or link to the full texts of articles and even build upon their work as long as they credit the author for the original work. Moreover, as per journal policy author (s) hold and retain copyrights without any restrictions.
