Conference Agenda

More and more universities are using English as a medium of instruction around the world, in a variety of fields, from the most scientific to the least (Macaro et al., 2021). This evident spread of English in the tertiary sphere necessitates a high language skill from students who plan to study in these countries. Students from countries where English is not used as a medium of instruction, e.g. Syria, face a huge difficulty when moving to a new country where English is used. International students reported that one of the most challenging skills to be attained is reading (Kamal et al., 2022). One of the most cited strategies to be claimed effective is metacognition (Al-Bazi & Shukri, 2016; Deliany & Cahyono, 2020; Haling, 2022; Muhid et al., 2020; Rastegar et al., 2017). Metacognition is the ability to consciously reflect one’s own thinking as well as monitoring, controlling, and regulating that thinking, so that one reaches a previously defined goal (Lavi et al., 2019; Veenman et al., 2006). The effect of metacognition on reading skills has also been asserted to be positive (Al-Bazi & Shukri, 2016; Deliany & Cahyono, 2020; Haling, 2022; Muhid et al., 2020; Rastegar et al., 2017). One of the most renowned inventories to investigate students’ metacognitive strategies is The Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory, hereinafter, MARSI (Mokhtari & Reichard, 2002) which was revised later in 2018 (Mokhtari et al., 2018). A self-report instrument, MARSI explores the use of selected reading strategies while reading academic materials, namely planning, monitoring, and evaluating which correspond to global reading strategies, problem solving skills, and support reading skills (Al-Bazi & Shukri, 2016; Deliany & Cahyono, 2020; Haling, 2022; Muhid et al., 2020; Rastegar et al., 2017). Planning strategies engage deliberate set of tactics used by readers to while preparing for, organizing, and structuring their reading practice. Deploying these strategies, the reader aims to set goals, analyze the reading task, and develop a scheme to comprehend the task (Babashamasi et al., 2022; Mokhtari & Reichard, 2002; Muhid et al., 2020). Monitoring grips the active and continual process of cognition throughout the reading activity. It explores the awareness of the reader and questions their understanding and comprehension while engaging with the text. It has been maintained that the more skilled a reader is the higher chances of them to be able to monitor their comprehension, recognize when they do not understand, and attempt to deploy elected strategies to rectify the process (Mokhtari et al., 2018). Evaluating is concerned with the conscious and deliberate process of evaluating one’s understanding of the text once the reading process is finalized. This process integrates readers’ reflection on the content of the task and how it can relate to their background knowledge, contributing to the overall understanding of the text (Muhid et al., 2020; Rajasagaran & Ismail, 2022). Although it has received different criticisms in relation to adaptability (MacNamara, 2011; Mavrogianni et al., 2020), it is still perceived to be instrumental in tertiary education research. Henceforth, this study is planned to answer the following overarching question:

What metacognitive reading strategies do adult International students deploy in English-Taught Programs in Hungary?

This study will not only give insights about the strategies, but it is also more likely to incite curriculum designers and examiners to integrate metacognitive reading strategies in both language teaching books and exams, specifically in a heterogenous, multilingual context.

A considerable number of students face reading difficulties (e.g., 7.44% in Grade 5, Yang et al., 2022) and due to their persistence, these difficulties are likely to remain throughout life, although in a milder form (Psyridou et al., 2020). However, in addition to reading difficulties, comorbid social-emotional difficulties often occur. For students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) the comorbidity between reading disorders and ASD is unclear, requiring further research due to varied prevalence (6-30%; Hendren et al., 2018). Nevertheless, students with ASD show very heterogenous reading skills, ranging from average reading to severe difficulties (Solari et al., 2019), but often reading comprehension is impaired (McInyre et al., 2017).

ASD’s core characteristics involve persistent difficulties in interaction and communication, impacting personal, family, social and educational areas. Further, ASD is descripted as a spectrum of high and low functioning subtypes, affecting intellectual and language abilities (ICD 11; WHO, 2023). ASD severity might strongly influence reading comprehension (McIntyre et al., 2017). Further, as language abilities are often impaired, cognitive skills (e.g., intelligence, Theory of Mind (ToM), executive functions) might be even more important for students with ASD to compensate for them (Wang et al., 2023). In particular, demands posed by texts have an impact on reading comprehension difficulties, as often everyday life stories are used in assessments. Students with ASD find it difficult to relate to the storyline due to less interpersonal knowledge and ToM, their struggle to understand beliefs or intentions of others (Brown et al., 2013). It can be assumed that general language skills, cognitive skills and ASD severity are more relevant concerning reading difficulties of students with ASD than linguistic characteristics of specific languages, as international evidence supports these findings regarding reading difficulties in students with ASD, e.g., USA (Solari et al., 2019) or Brazil (Cardaso-Martins et al., 2015). Therefore, our collected data enable some in-depth understanding of reading profiles and offer the possibility to discuss implications of reading comprehension assessments for students with ASD.

This study is part of the project ASDEX (Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and EXperiments in Science; funded by FWF), that aims to foster social inclusion and learning outcomes for students with ASD in secondary education. Specific teaching methods (e.g., experiments in smaller groups) in science classes were developed and evaluated. The data presented are helpful in understanding the reading comprehension skills of students with ASD, and the difficulties encountered should be considered in teaching methods to best serve all students.

This presentation addresses the following research questions:

-) To what extent can differences in reading skills of students with and without ASD and also within different ASD severity groups be observed?

-) To what extent do ASD characteristics, cognitive abilities, socio-economic status and first language influence the reading skills of students with ASD?

-) Which specific error patterns in reading comprehension are evident in students with ASD?

This paper analyzes reading skills of students with ASD in fifth to seventh grade in Austria, considering different ASD severity groups and reading profiles. The individual items of the reading test itself were also analyzed for error patterns according to the demands of the text. Regarding reading competence, reading comprehension, fluency and accuracy were measured, along with cognitive abilities (IQ). Further, teachers and parents assessed specific ASD characteristics. Therefore, 14 students with ASD were matched with their peers regarding gender, grade, type of school, cognitive abilities, age, socio-economic status, first language and spoken language(s) at home.

Success at school and educational opportunities are closely related to language skills (cf. Artelt et al. 2001). This insight has been accepted for 20 years and accordingly, tests to determine children’s language skills have now been introduced in almost all German states and interventions have been established for the support of children who have not succeeded in these tests, in order to promote their language acquisition. These interventions usually take place in separate groups and without connection to other educational activities in school. This can be criticized from the perspectives of inclusion and learning theory.

According to findings from various studies (e.g. Mol et al. 2008; Ennemoser et al. 2013), dialogical reading is particularly effective in supporting language development in children aged two to three, children with German as a second language and children with language development delays. The proven effects are primarily related to lexical development, while effects on grammatical abilities have not been proven so far. Dialogical reading is an implicit form of language education that is integrated into the day-to-day running of a school and is based on the content of the picture book itself and the children's experiences in life. So far, the focus has mostly been on the promotion of pragmatic and lexical skills. Morpho-syntactic skills are supported more incidentally and not purposefully via dialogical reading.

Since the acquisition of morpho-syntactic skills (in particular the further development of complex syntax, cases as well as complex verb structures) is of particular relevance for school-age children and directly influence their chances to succeed in the educational system (cf. Ruberg/Rothweiler 2012; Motsch/Rietz 2019; Lehmden et al. 2013), it is currently being discussed how the dialogic reading situation can be designed to particularly improve grammar acquisition (cf. Baldaeus et al. 2021; Lehmden et al. 2017; Schütz/Alt 2020). In this context the language support method “Goal-Oriented Dialogical Picture Book Reading" (Schütz 2021) has been developed.

“Goal-Oriented Dialogical Picture Book Reading” offers the opportunity to establish language acquisition support integrated into everyday school life. The picture book viewing can be used in the usual classroom context. The specific way in which the dialogues are designed by the teacher allows for one or several children to be specifically supported in the development of their language skills.

The aim of the ongoing study “ZDL Schule”, which was launched at the University of Bremen in September 2022, is to implement the method “Goal-Oriented Dialogical Picture Book Reading” in primary schools and to monitor the effects on the children’s language skills.