Fenix Programme in Junior High School: an experimental research.

The switch from primary to junior high school1 is particularly delicate relative to the scholastic success of all students. The relevant critical factors involved constitute a marked risk element, especially for students who find themselves at a disadvantaged starting point, one which has led to them already experiencing failure in primary school. For this reason a decision was made to offer cognitive and motivational reinforcement interventions for students in the 1st year of secondary school, in order to strengthen their entry skills and accompany them in future years, reducing the risk of failure and loss of interest relative to school activities. In the present contribution the main protective and risk factors will therefore be explored connected with the entry phase to secondary school, contextualizing the same relative to the situation in Italy. The implementation modalities for the Fenix programme will therefore be set out, describing the latter’s specificity relative to interventions implemented in primary school and analyzing the results of experiments carried out over four years of activity.