An active learning intervention for in-service teachers: self-determination theory, heutagogy, neuroeducation and the (altered) flipped classroom in practice

Abstract Teachers often find it challenging to make the necessary mind shift to embrace alternative pedagogies, thereby reinforcing passive learning behaviours through an over-reliance on teacher-centred practices. This familiarity with traditional pedagogy has consequently served as a stumbling block for many educational innovations. Developing a context-specific pedagogical intervention that is (i) grounded in contemporary educational theory and (ii) can readily be implemented by everyday in-service teachers is imperative to escape the passive learning landscape. This conceptual paper aims to show how the Altered Flipped Classroom Pedagogy (AFCP) was developed to support in-service teachers with limited resources to explore a more learner-centred approach. The conceptualisation of the AFCP stems from the principles of heutagogy (a theory of learning), Self-determination theory (a macro-theory of motivation), the flipped classroom (an instructional strategy) and the fundamentals of neuroeducation research (an emerging discipline). The interrelation of these four concepts is key to having a better understanding of the importance of learner-centred pedagogies for 21st-century learning. The framework also sheds light on the internal properties necessary to actuate learners’ self-determined behaviours, which in turn combats the passive learning phenomenon and empowers them for future learning paths.