Faculty of Social
and Economic Sciences
Comenius University Bratislava

Lenka Janík Blašková

Mgr. Lenka Janík Blašková, PhD.

Profile: wellbeing and mental health, relational psychology, personal development, qualitative approaches, social inclusion

Research interests: action research, community of practice research

Education

PhD: Educational Psychology (2022) - University of Cambridge, UK

MPhil: Educational Psychology (2016) - University of Cambridge, UK

MA: Applied Psychology - Educational Counselling (2015), University College Cork, Ireland

HDip: Social and Psychological Health (2013), University College Cork, Ireland

MBus: Business (2009), Cork Insitute of Technology, Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland

HDip: Public Relations (2008), Cork Insitute of Technology, Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland

BSBA: Bachelor of Business Studies and Business Administration (2004), University of Seatlle, City University, Trenčín, Slovak Republic

Training and Courses

2023- Mental Health First Aider, MHFA England

2023 - Group Therapy - Gestalt Centre London

2021 - 2022 Professional Accreditation in Higher Education, Higher Education Academy, Higher Ed. Academy, UK

2019 - 2021 Teacher Education, Higher Education Academy, Higher Education Academy, UK

2018 - 2019 Foundations of Positive Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Work experience and Consultations

2021 - 2024 School of Education, University of Exeter, UK

2017 - 2021 Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

2024 WorldBank, New York - External Consultant

2023 Pontis, Bratislava - External Consultant

2019 Cambridge Assessment, Cambridge, UK - External Consultant

Research Projects

STRAWS: Supporting Teachers, Resilience, And Wellbeing, Slovakia. Principal Investigator. Research supported by a grant awarded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK.

Peer relationships and wellbeing in children with developmental language impairment to improve their mental wellbeing and social inclusion among peers in school. Principal Investigator. Research supported by a grant from the Cambridge Trust and the Lego Foundation, UK.

Research assistant on research projects at the University of Cambridge

▪ Implementing change in clinical practice through continuing education

▪ Play and social development: a research centre for education, development and learning (PEDAL - Play in

Education, Development, and Learning).

▪ Developing pedagogical intentionality - Child-led approaches to learning

Professional organisations

BPS British Psychological Society, British Psychological Society, Chartered Member

HEA Higher Education Authority, Professional Fellow

EARLI European Association for Research on Learning & Instruction

BERA British Educational Research Association

Publications

Janik Blaskova, L., & Gibson, J.L. (2024). Friendship is… “never letting go off hands”. Exploring concepts of friendship formation in children with Language Disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.13021

Kilgour, S., & Janik Blaskova, L. (2024). Book Chapter: Play as Inclusive Practice. In P. Ramchandani & S. Baker (Eds), Unlocking Research: Play. Routledge.

Janik Blaskova, L., & Winter, L. (2023). Duševné zdravie a psychická pohoda učiteľov na Slovensku [Mental health and psychological well-being of teachers in Slovakia]. Conference proceedings. Stredná zdravotnícka škola v Prešove [Secondary medical school in Prešov].

Janik Blaskova, L. (2023, March 29). The hows and whys of improved interactions with international students. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/hows-and-whys-improved-interactions-international-students

Janik Blaskova, L., & Gibson, J.L. (2022). Children with language disorder and as friends: The perspectives of their classroom peers. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 39(1), 39–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590221139231

Janik Blaskova, L., & Gibson, J. L. (2021). Reviewing the link between language abilities and peer relations in children with developmental language disorder: The importance of children’s own perspectives. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 6. https://doi.org/10.1177/239694152110215

Hofmann, R., Arenge, G., Dickens, S., Marfan, J., Ryan, M., Tiong, N.D., Radia, B., & Janik Blaskova, L. (2021). The Covid-19 Learning Crisis as a Challenge and an Opportunity for Schools: An Evidence Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Research-Based Tools for Sustainable Change. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 11, 39-66. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1133

Janik Blaskova, L., Le Courtois, S., Baker, S.T., Gibson, J.L., Ramchandani, P.G., O’Farrelly, CH., & Fink, E. (2020). Participant engagement with play research - examples and lessons learned from the Centre for Play in Education, Development and Learning. International Journal of Play, 9(4), 365-381. https://doi.org/10.1080/21594937.2020.1843804

Kittredge, A. K., Day, N., Janik Blaskova, L., Zhang, H., & Baker, S. T. (2018). Teachers’ views on supporting self-regulated learning in early childhood science education. 13th International Conferences of the Learning Sciences (ICLS). https://repository.isls.org/bitstream/1/569/1/244.pdf

Janik Blaskova, L., & McLellan, R.W. (2017). Young people’s perceptions of wellbeing: The importance of peer relationships in Slovak schools. International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 6(4), 279–291. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2017.1342579

Publications in progress  

Howard, K., Moore, D., Dimitrellou, E., Janik Blaskova, L., & Howard, J. (accepted).  School-based mental health support for migrant children and young people: A scoping review. Journal of School Psychology.

Janik Blaskova, L., & Winter, L. (in preparation) Mapping the wellbeing and resilience in a profession: The needs of teachers in Slovakia. Social Indicators Research.

Conferences

Dec 2023          National Centre for Research Methods UK. Critical conversations webinar.

Janik Blaskova, L. (6 December 2023) Provoking thought: Teachers should not get involved in participatory research. Roundtable discussion.

Nov 2023         Coalition of Schools for Mental Health. Annual Conference. Slovakia

Oct 2023           Secondary medical school and University of Prešov, Slovakia. Conference  theme: Teaching for practice.

Janik Blaskova, L. (6 October 2023). Duševné zdravie a psychická pohoda učiteľov na Slovensku [Mental health and psychological well-being of teachers in Slovakia]. Talk.

Aug 2023          European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), Thessaloniki, Greece. Conference theme: Education as a Hope in Uncertain Times.

Janik Blaskova, L. (21-26 August 2023). Experiential learning as a means for personal development and wellbeing in Slovak teachers. Leading roundtable discussion.

Jun 2023          Annual Conference, School of Education, Exeter, United Kingdom.

Janik Blaskova, L. (9 June 2023). STRAWS: Supporting Teachers, Resilience and Wellbeing, Slovakia. Poster presentation.

Mar 2023         Celebrating Neurodiversity, University of Exeter.

Janik Blaskova, L. (15 March 2023). Friendship interactions in children with Language Disorder. Talk.

Dec 2022          Žijem vedu naživo, Bratislava, Slovakia.

Janik Blaskova, L. (21 December 2022). Ako priniesť duševnú pohodu a rozvoj psychosociálnych zručností na slovenské školy? [How to introduce wellbeing and psychosocial skills development in Slovak school?] Talk.

Sept 2021         1st International Developmental Language Disorder Conference

Janik Blaskova, L. (20-22 September 2021). Friendship is…. “when we all play together.” Exploring concepts of friendship formation in children with developmental language disorder. 1st International Developmental Language Disorder Conference: From Evidence to Impact. https://thedldproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/1ST-IDLDRC-2021-Abstract-E-Book-V1.4.pdf

Sept 2018         Annual Conference of Psychology & Education Section of BPS, talk

May 2017         Annual BPS Conference in Brighton, symposium panel on wellbeing