Final answer:
The return type in a method heading refers to the type of value that a method will return when it finishes executing. It can be void or a reference/primitive type.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a method heading, the return type refers to the type of value that a method will return when it finishes executing. There are two kinds of return types: void and reference/primitive types.
Void means that the method will not return a value, while reference/primitive types indicate that the method will return a value of that specific type. The return type is specified after the method's access modifier and before the method's name.