This study aims to examine how a short, practice-oriented intervention based on Reciprocal Teaching (RT) and the theory of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) could affect students’ reading comprehension, strategy use, and self-regulatory abilities in a sixth-grade classroom. The study’s theoretical framework was grounded in the four core reading strategies of the RT-model (predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing), as well as Zimmerman’s (2002) theory of SRL. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests based on previous national tests, SRL questionnaires in which students individually reflected before and after reading, and a semi- structured interview with the classroom teacher. 

The test results were analyzed based on three levels of reading comprehension ("on the lines," "between the lines," and "beyond the lines"), while the SRL questionnaires and teacher interview were thematically analyzed using relevant phases of the SRL cycle and identified categories. 

The pre- and post-test results showed a generally unchanged level of reading comprehension over time. However, an improvement was identified at the "beyond the lines" level, which may indicate that students’ abilities to interpret, reflect, and integrate information had developed. However, difficulties at the "between the lines" level persisted. The teacher's reasoning highlighted factors such as linguistic prior knowledge, motivation, and access to instructional resources as important for students’ application of reading strategies and comprehension development. The analysis of the SRL questionnaires suggests a mechanical use of strategies rather than a genuine attempt to understand the text. It also revealed that students particularly struggled with the clarifying strategy. The teacher emphasized that limited vocabulary knowledge posed a central challenge, hindering students’ ability to clarify ambiguities in the text. 

The study concludes that the generally unchanged reading comprehension outcomes may partly be explained by the short duration of the intervention and the limited selection of pupils, as well as by a possible lack of focus on the functional and contextual dimensions of strategy use in the teaching.