Learning to launch: Classroom climate, feedback, narrative therapy, and the development of entrepreneurial creativity in college

This study examines how classroom climate and feedback quality/internalization shape the development of entrepreneurial creativity among undergraduates in China, and whether narrative re-authoring practice amplifies this process. We surveyed students enrolled in entrepreneurship courses across four innovation ecosystems-Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Xi'an-and paired surveys with expert ratings of artifact novelty and usefulness across course milestones. After distributing 634 questionnaires, 496 valid responses were retained (in-person proctoring; tokenized QR to prevent duplicates). Established, Chinese-adapted scales showed strong measurement quality (loadings ≥0.70; α = 0.84-0.92; CR = 0.89-0.94; AVE = 0.61-0.71; SRMR = 0.058; HTMT <0.85). Using SmartPLS 4 with 5000 bootstrap resamples, we found that supportive classroom climate directly promoted entrepreneurial creativity development (β = 0.12, p = .009) and strongly enhanced feedback quality/internalization (β = 0.58, p < .001). Feedback quality/internalization, in turn, predicted creativity growth (β = 0.41, p < .001). The indirect effect of classroom climate on entrepreneurial creativity via feedback was significant and substantial (β_indirect = 0.24, p < .001; partial mediation), and narrative re-authoring practice positively moderated the feedback→creativity path (β = 0.09, p = .007). Framed by Self-Determination Theory and the Componential Theory of Creativity, the findings identify an actionable mechanism-ignite motivation with climate, steer progress with high-quality feedback, and stabilize iteration with narrative practice-offering theory-driven guidance for scaling China's innovation-oriented entrepreneurship education.