Abstract
Technological advancements and the expansion of blended learning environments in higher education have increased the need to reconsider approaches to the use of university textbooks. In this context, heutagogy, emphasizing self-determined learning, learner autonomy, and agency, provides a framework for fostering active, deep, and transferable learning in both physical and virtual settings. The present study aimed to identify and synthesize effective heutagogical approaches for optimizing textbook use in blended learning environments. This qualitative study employed a research synthesis method. The research corpus consisted of studies published between 2015 and 2025, from which 28 articles were purposively selected from national and international databases, including SID, Noormags, Magiran, Scopus, Emerald, Sage, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis based on Roberts’ six-stage model. The findings indicated that effective approaches could be categorized into four principal dimensions: self-directed learning, constructivism, collaborative learning, and critical approaches. These dimensions encompassed 10 axial codes and 50 categories, including learner autonomy, self-assessment, integrated knowledge production, group interaction, critical thinking development, and the personalization of learning resources through data-driven and artificial intelligence-based systems. The results suggest that heutagogical approaches can shift learning from passive content reception toward knowledge analysis, interpretation, and production, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of textbooks in blended learning environments.

Introduction
Technological developments and the expansion of blended learning environments in higher education have fundamentally transformed traditional teaching and learning methods. Blended learning, which integrates face-to-face instruction with online and virtual learning, offers flexibility, increased engagement, and the potential for deeper learning. However, this transformation necessitates a fundamental rethinking of how traditional educational resources, particularly university textbooks, are used. Textbooks remain one of the most important sources of formal learning, providing structured content, conceptual coherence, and a reliable reference for both students and instructors (Ellen Lepionka, 2019; Mikk & Luik, 2021). Yet, in blended environments, static, linear, text-only textbooks are often insufficient to promote active, deep, and transferable learning. This gap calls for pedagogical approaches that empower learners to take control of their own learning processes. One such approach is heutagogy, or self-determined learning, which emphasizes learner autonomy, capacity building, double-loop learning (reflecting on the learning process itself), and flexibility (Hase & Kenyon, 2013; Blaschke & Hase, 2015). Heutagogy moves beyond andragogy (adult learning) by positioning the learner as the primary agent in designing, managing, and evaluating their own learning journey. In blended learning contexts, heutagogical approaches can leverage digital tools, multimedia resources, and interactive platforms to transform textbooks from static sources of information into dynamic, personalized, and collaborative learning hubs (Lock et al., 2021; Chamo et al., 2023). Despite the growing body of research on both blended learning and heutagogy, there is a lack of an integrated, synthesized framework that specifically addresses how heutagogical principles can optimize the use of university textbooks in blended environments. The present study aims to fill this gap by systematically identifying and synthesizing the key dimensions and components of effective heutagogical approaches for the optimal use of university textbooks in blended learning settings. The central research question is: What are the key dimensions and components of heutagogical approaches that can effectively redefine the role of textbooks in blended learning environments, and how can these components be synthesized into a coherent framework?

Research Methodology
This research employed a qualitative approach using a synthesis research method (synthesis research). The scope of the study included all peer-reviewed scientific articles published in the last decade (2015–2025) related to heutagogical approaches for the optimal use of university textbooks in blended learning environments. A systematic search was conducted in domestic Iranian databases (Sid, Normagas, Magiram) and international databases (Scopus, Emerald, Sage, ProQuest, Science Direct, SpringerLink, Taylor & Francis, Google Scholar, Eric, Wiley). Keywords included “heutagogy,” “self-determined learning,” “blended learning,” “hybrid learning,” “university textbooks,” “textbook use,” and their Persian equivalents. After initial screening, 28 articles were selected based on thematic content relevance and quality criteria. The data extraction tool was a researcher-developed coding sheet that recorded bibliographic information, methodology, objectives, research questions, and key findings. Data analysis followed Roberts’ six-step model for synthesis research (as cited in Marš, 2008), which includes: (1) need identification and preliminary search; (2) retrieval of studies; (3) selection, refinement, and organization; (4) perceptual framing and adaptation; (5) processing, synthesis, and interpretation into a tangible product; and (6) presenting results. Thematic analysis was used to identify basic, organizing, and global themes. To ensure reliability, four evaluators independently re-coded the findings, and Scott’s method (2012) yielded an inter-rater agreement coefficient of 83.55%, indicating favorable consistency.

Discussion
1. Self-Directed Approach: Fostering Learner Autonomy and Control
One of the four overarching themes (global themes) identified in this synthesis was the self-directed approach. This approach emphasizes giving students control over their learning pace and path using digital resources (Hilton, 2016; Trust & Whalen, 2020; Zhao & Watterston, 2023). Key components include providing students with choices between digital and print content, transferring responsibility for basic information acquisition to out-of-class textbook study (Bowen, 2017), and encouraging self-paced learning using annotation and highlighting tools (Costello et al., 2021). Structural supports such as study guides, short videos, quizzes, and intelligent study assistants (Hendrayana, 2024; Hanč et al., 2024) help scaffold independent learning. Textbooks are used as preparation tools for problem-solving sessions, and assignments are designed to require deep engagement with textbook content rather than superficial reading (Martin & Bolliger, 2018). Self-assessment and learning monitoring are also crucial, with short quizzes, continuous engagement tracking, and using class time for analysis, evaluation, and creation based on the textbook (Garrison, 2016; Heilporn et al., 2021). These findings align with Lock et al. (2021), who demonstrated that self-regulated learning strategies enhance student interaction with digital textbooks.
2. Constructivist Approach: Building and Integrating Knowledge
The second global theme is the constructivist approach, which focuses on moving beyond mere content reproduction to active knowledge construction. Key components include designing learning ecosystems that integrate textbooks with various other learning resources (Yang et al., 2025), and empowering students as co-producers of knowledge rather than passive consumers (Blyth, 2018; Weller et al., 2015). Inviting students to participate in improving course content (e.g., completing wikis) and redesigning classroom activities based on integrating face-to-face and virtual data (Lee & Kim, 2024) are important strategies. Connecting textbook concepts to external credible sources and articles (Watson & Watson, 2021; Heilporn et al., 2021), using rich multimedia content to enhance understanding (Singh et al., 2023), employing hyflex methods to synchronize textbooks with other resources, and integrating textbooks with data sources like simulations and charts (Hanč et al., 2024; Pardo & Siemens, 2024) are all part of this approach. This coincides with the findings of Bae & Lee (2020), who showed that constructivist use of textbooks in blended environments leads to more meaningful and deeper engagement.
3. Collaborative Learning Approach: Interactive Tools and Team-Based Activities
The third global theme is the collaborative learning approach, which emphasizes the use of interactive tools and media, as well as content-based team activities. Key components include creating spaces for student interaction with textbooks and other textual resources through discussion forums, shared documents, and video conferencing (Heilporn et al., 2021; Garrison, 2016). Using interactive e-textbooks with embedded links, videos, and quizzes, and employing interactive simulations for lab and engineering courses instead of lengthy textual explanations (Luo & Chan, 2023) are crucial. Team-based learning, where teams are formed in face-to-face sessions to solve complex textbook problems, and using virtual groups to exchange information about textbooks and learning resources are also highlighted (Bae & Lee, 2020; Graham et al., 2019). Guiding online and face-to-face discussions and activities based on textbook content, and designing group activities based on case studies or problems within the textbook are essential strategies. This aligns with Shatal et al. (2024), who found that collaborative strategies increase conceptual understanding and sense of belonging, and with Liu et al. (2022), who demonstrated that interactive technologies work best when integrated with group projects and interactive structures.
4. Critical Approach: Critical Thinking, Revision, and AI-Personalization
The fourth global theme is the critical approach, which focuses on developing critical thinking, criticizing and revising educational resources, and personalizing resources based on artificial intelligence and data. Key components include using textbook concepts as a basis for deep, critical discussion, emphasizing immediate feedback in evaluating textbooks and learning resources in blended environments (Bali & Caines, 2018; Martin & Bolliger, 2018), and giving instructors the authority to select and adapt resources instead of imposing a single textbook. Promoting the use of open educational resources to reduce costs and increase flexibility, continuously assessing student engagement with textbook content, and shifting the paradigm from merely covering topics to creating memorable learning experiences through content integration are also important. AI-based personalization includes designing AI-based assignments, using AI to cover specialized topics and evaluate them, referring students to examine open-access findings with AI assistance, and using data from AI interactions to personalize instruction (Hendrayana, 2024; Yang et al., 2025). These findings are consistent with Mikk & Luik (2021), who found that a critical approach in blended contexts fosters analytical thinking and active participation, and with Majbari et al. (2022), who concluded that a critical approach helps redefine textbooks as open, dynamic resources.

Conclusion
This synthesis research demonstrates that integrating heutagogical approaches—specifically self-directed, constructivist, collaborative, and critical approaches—can significantly optimize the use of university textbooks in blended learning environments. The findings reveal that textbooks should no longer be seen as mere transmitters of static content but as dynamic, flexible, and interactive learning hubs that empower learners to take control of their own learning. The self-directed approach fosters autonomy and self-regulation; the constructivist approach enables knowledge construction and integration; the collaborative approach leverages social interaction for deeper understanding; and the critical approach, enhanced by AI and data, promotes analytical thinking and personalization. These four approaches, synthesized into a coherent framework, provide practical guidance for textbook authors, instructional designers, university instructors, and policymakers. To implement this framework, it is recommended that university textbook publishing organizations integrate emerging technologies such as generative AI and virtual reality, involve students and faculty as co-creators of content, develop localized models specifying the heutagogical role of various learning technologies, design self-assessment checklists or apps based on heutagogical principles, and create interactive, personalized learning pathways using QR codes, AI problem-solvers, simulations, and virtual assistants. By adopting these heutagogical strategies, university textbooks can effectively support active, deep, and transferable learning in the increasingly prevalent blended learning environment, ultimately enhancing the quality of higher education.