Metacognition and motivation in reading comprehension: the case of italian as a foreign language

This dissertation focuses on the B1 level reading comprehension task of the high-school-leaving exam undertaken by Italian as a Foreign Language (FL) learners enrolled in Allgemeinbildende Höhere Schulen (AHS) in Austria. The research project aims to offer support to teachers and learners by examining the domain of reading comprehension through a metacognitive and motivational pedagogical lens. The study adopts a pre-test and post-test design involving an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group undergoes a metacognitive-motivational training session specifically designed for the reading and comprehension task of Italian as a Foreign Language. The learning objectives of the experimental training are identified through a Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) approach, utilizing a triangulation of methods to define task characteristics, cognitive-linguistic requirements, and strategic pathways. Additionally, the CTA examines learners' metacognitive awareness of reading strategies and their motivational attitude towards Italian as a FL. The primary objective of this research is to assess whether the experimental training induces any changes in the complex dynamic system of the FL classroom. This assessment encompasses aspects such as performance, metacognitive awareness, and motivational attitudes within the sample. The study aims to contribute valuable insights into the effectiveness of metacognitive-motivational interventions in enhancing the reading and comprehension abilities of Italian FL learners in the Austrian educational context.