Champions to Changemakers: Supporting Lifelong Learning for Sustainability in the Workplace

Abstract

Education and lifelong learning are critical for achieving just and sustainable societies. Much of the research on learning for sustainability focuses on the formal education system, overlooking the robust day to day learning experienced in other settings. This research focuses on the learning that takes place among adults in their workplaces. The aim of the project is to explore the educational insights we can gain from individuals who see the possibilities for social and environmental innovation at their current employer, given the successes, obstacles, and needs they perceive in trying to drive change from non-senior leadership positions. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis with theoretical influences from hermeneutical phenomenology and narrative research. The analysis shows sustainability, creativity, and innovation in the workplace are heavily influenced by transformative learning, collaboration, aligning learning objectives across levels of the organization, feedback, and organizational culture. Using panarchy theory as a framework, this research conceptualized some of the limitations imposed by current mechanistic paradigms within which organizations and learning are designed and operate. A transformation to an ecological systems paradigm is essential for facilitating learning for sustainability, creativity, and innovation across organizational levels. More research is needed from more diverse perspectives to investigate the linkages that help and hinder learning between scales within organizations.