Hedviga Tkáčová
Catholic University in Ruzomberok, Department of JOurnalism, Faculty Member
Aim. Research on older adults (≥ 60) repeatedly confirms that the use of social networks has a rather positive effect on these users. The indicated trend leads us to the research of older adults with a focus on their motivations and... more
Aim. Research on older adults (≥ 60) repeatedly confirms that the use of social networks has a rather positive effect on these users. The indicated trend leads us to the research of older adults with a focus on their motivations and challenges when using social networking sites. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-four older adults in Slovakia. The aim was to uncover the deeper processes and details that the members of the selected sample experience when using social networks. Results. The thematic analysis revealed a disproportion between low knowledge of social networks and willingness to use them in theresearch sample (Q1). While older adults rated their knowledge of social networks with a school grade of 4, they do not see this as an obstacle to their increasingly frequent use of social networks. Within the second research area (Q2), a set of seven motivations derived from the use of social networks among respondents were identified. Finally, four main...
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Objective: The aim of our research was to find out, if university students of humanities and social sciences at five Slovak public universities have theoretical prerequisites for intercultural competencies mainly needed in multicultural... more
Objective: The aim of our research was to find out, if university students of humanities and social sciences at five Slovak public universities have theoretical prerequisites for intercultural competencies mainly needed in multicultural healthcare. These concrete theoretical prerequisites are dealing with knowledge regarding Islamic teachings on: family; female infanticide; reproduction; usage of assisted reproduction technologies; and induced abortion. Design: Research study. Participants: Overall 1000 students at 5 Slovak public universities (at each n=200). Methods: Empirical research was done using our own questionnaire. Verification of our three hypotheses has been done using the method of statistical testing for testing hypotheses on equality of parameters of two alternative divisions with large selection ranges. Results: Responses to questions concerning definition of marriage in Islam (Questions #1 - 3) have shown, that both male and female students have proved better knowle...
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This contribution presents the results of research focused on an analysis of humorous visual portrayals of visit of Pope Francis to Slovakia in September 2021. The study presents a qualitative content analysis of 43 memes taken from the... more
This contribution presents the results of research focused on an analysis of humorous visual portrayals of visit of Pope Francis to Slovakia in September 2021. The study presents a qualitative content analysis of 43 memes taken from the social media environment and eight caricatures from selected print media outlets. The aim of the analysis of the memes and caricatures was to identify the topics that framed the papal visit before shifting the focus to the question of how the memes and caricatures present Pope Francis and selected Slovak political figures within this context. The study will identify the characteristics ascribed to the Pope and to Slovak politicians in the media and the tonalities (either positive, negative, or neutral) emphasized in the studied memes and caricatures in relation to the Pope, politicians, Slovak society, and the Church.
The paper presents the theoretical basis of the issue of existence and application of intolerant attitudes of the majority population in relation to the minority Jewish community in Slovakia. We focus primarily on selected aspects of... more
The paper presents the theoretical basis of the issue of existence and application of intolerant attitudes of the majority population in relation to the minority Jewish community in Slovakia. We focus primarily on selected aspects of intolerance against Jews – specifically Slovak nationalism (i.e., political clericalism) and Jewish antisemitism. The starting point of the article is quantitative and qualitative research of Slovaks’ attitudes in the past, in which several experts revealed a negative stereotypical and negative perception of “difference”, which is understood as “not Slovak”, event. not “ours”. We point out that the given attitude extends across generations and across periods (before communism, during it and after communism, i.e. to the present). Subsequently, the text presents the observations that emerged from the survey itself. The aim of the qualitative survey was to describe and analyse the opinions and attitudes of respondents in relation to Jews in Slovakia.
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The starting point of this theoretical article is the presentation of the issue of media manipulation in the contemporary digital media environment. The theoretical part is followed by a description and analysis of selected factors that... more
The starting point of this theoretical article is the presentation of the issue of media manipulation in the contemporary digital media environment. The theoretical part is followed by a description and analysis of selected factors that create a belief of the individual’s resilience to digital media manipulative elements. Among the seven researched factors of an individual’s (non) resilience to digital media manipulation, we include: media illiteracy/literacy, thought activity/laziness, searching/not searching for “consensus” in the media, not emphasizing/emphasizing emotions, non-reliance/reliance on own intuition, non-credibility/credibility in the opinion of celebrities and automatic distrust/trust of recipients in the information presented in the media and others. We do not see the presence of manipulative elements in digital media as the main danger (manipulation is always in a sense part of the media message), nor the fact that manipulative elements have an effect on individua...
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Феномен екуменізму розуміється в більш широкому сенсі як спроба діалогу між християнами і нехристиянськими релігіями. Йдеться про так званий "великий екуменізм". У цій статті ми називаємо його "екуменізмом Авраама" і... more
Феномен екуменізму розуміється в більш широкому сенсі як спроба діалогу між християнами і нехристиянськими релігіями. Йдеться про так званий "великий екуменізм". У цій статті ми називаємо його "екуменізмом Авраама" і представляємо його у вигляді короткого огляду взаємин трьох монотеїстичних релігій. Також в практичній частині статті ми акцентуємо увагу на контексті "великого екуменізму". Саме дослідження проводиться в групі з 52 старшокласників і його мета – виявити проблеми в спілкуванні з людиною іншої культури або релігії і визначити рішення, які респонденти вважають необхідними і практично здійсненними. Дослідження показує, що старшокласники усвідомлюють свої недоліки, які можуть бути перешкодою для діалогу з людьми, які належать до різних культур або релігій. Респонденти говорять про відсутність впевненості в собі і про практичний або особистий досвід "інакшості". Вони також вказують на проблему домінуючого досвіду ЗМІ з "інакшістю&q...
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Empirical research has repeatedly shown that an individual's confidence in false reports can be built when those reports confirm individuals own pre-existing attitudes, beliefs, or hypotheses. And when false reports confirm an... more
Empirical research has repeatedly shown that an individual's confidence in false reports can be built when those reports confirm individuals own pre-existing attitudes, beliefs, or hypotheses. And when false reports confirm an individual's beliefs or attitudes, individual´s confidence in the false reports even grows. Therefore, according to experts, attitude, opinion or emotional homogeneity is proving to be the main driving force for the emergence, dissemination and even growth of any content in the media environment, disinformation content is no exception. Acceptance and credibility of disinformation on an individual and social level today appears to be a significant problem, especially in the area of social media, which are based on the idea of free and collective creation of content that is created by users. According to research, in the new media environment the most vulnerable group is young people, whose time on the Internet has increased most during Covid 19. The young generation uses social media for education or searching information and, increasingly, as a form of entertainment and relaxation. In all cases, a space opens up for young people to encounter even partially true, misleading or even false information. The paper presents the theoretical basis, which is followed by own research in the group of high school students (n = 40) and university students (n = 40).
The aim of the research is to evaluate the mechanisms responsible for students' confidence in disinformation in the social media environment. Research confirms that the most important mechanisms in both research groups to stimulate students' confidence in disinformation during Covid 19 are:
(1) homogeneity in knowledge;
(2) homogeneity in beliefs;
(3) homogeneity of identity;
(4) homogeneity of the narrative;
(5) social (collective) homogeneity.
The aim of the research is to evaluate the mechanisms responsible for students' confidence in disinformation in the social media environment. Research confirms that the most important mechanisms in both research groups to stimulate students' confidence in disinformation during Covid 19 are:
(1) homogeneity in knowledge;
(2) homogeneity in beliefs;
(3) homogeneity of identity;
(4) homogeneity of the narrative;
(5) social (collective) homogeneity.
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The study explores Iranian English teachers' perceptions of the importance of critical thinking skills and the extent to which they practice their beliefs in real classroom setting. As a secondary purpose, the study discovered the... more
The study explores Iranian English teachers' perceptions of the importance of critical thinking skills and the extent to which they practice their beliefs in real classroom setting. As a secondary purpose, the study discovered the possible hindrances in the way of implementing critical thinking in reading classes. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, data were collected through survey questionnaire, interviews and class observations from 4 universities and several English language institutes. Fifty participants took part in the study. A questionnaire with 16 closed-ended and two open-ended questions was utilized to collect data about the teachers' beliefs. For the next phase of the study, one teacher from among 10 teachers who showed strong beliefs was conveniently selected for class observation and interview. The results of one sample T-test and independent sample T-test indicated that teachers believed critical thinking was important and that there was not any signific...
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In the context of considerations on the potential attenuation of the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic with the use of credible social media in online education during a pandemic, the subject of our own research was the... more
In the context of considerations on the potential attenuation of the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic with the use of credible social media in online education during a pandemic, the subject of our own research was the fulfillment of two goals. The main research goals were to identify, categorize, and evaluate the possibilities of using social media in online education during the pandemic from the perspective of selected teachers and students from secondary schools in Slovakia. The research methods of the first phase (qualitative) of the research involved brainstorming among nine secondary school teachers. The second research phase (quantitative) used a questionnaire, which was completed by 102 high school students from all over Slovakia. The collection of both quantitative and qualitative data was used in this research. The research results revealed the most representative opinions of teachers on the current and real possibilities of engaging credible social media in ...
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The necessity of establishing intercultural communication skills in children and young people is growing in the modern world. Expanding, extending the openness and accessibility of the Internet area, where diverse people with varied... more
The necessity of establishing intercultural communication skills in children and young people is growing in the modern world. Expanding, extending the openness and accessibility of the Internet area, where diverse people with varied ideas, interests, and aspirations meet, plays a significant role in this process. Todays youth are aptly referred to as digital aborigines, as they navigate the multicultural internet environment with ease, actively using modern technology that have already become a part of their daily lives. The goal of this study is to investigate the setting of an online multicultural environment from the perspective of Slovak university students, as well as to identify and analyze current problems that university students can see in online discussions about other cultures. A structured interview was used as the primary research approach. The results provide Slovak students perspective on the six most common topics that resonate in connection with different cultures o...
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Aim. The subject of our interest is to research the forms of prejudice about Christians among university students. Part of the research focuses on the question of the forms of prejudices of the research group in relation to religious... more
Aim. The subject of our interest is to research the forms of prejudice about Christians among university students. Part of the research focuses on the question of the forms of prejudices of the research group in relation to religious classmates – peers and part of on significant influence of media on the negative perception of Christianity in the society. The reflection of the findings is a consideration of the decline in social cohesion due to (1) the existence of prejudices in the university environment in Slovakia, and (2) the often negative media presentation of Christian religion in the Slovak media. Concept. The starting point of the issue is the research into the forms of prejudice and the potential for social exclusion of young people due to the existence of prejudice in the university environment. The need for this kind of research and reasoning arises from growing fears and the strengthening of phobias that accumulate within the groups we observe. Results and conclusion. T...
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In this article, we present the concept of the participation and responsibility of individuals in the sustainable development (SD) of the world from a Christian ethics point of view. The Christian ethics perspective is based on the... more
In this article, we present the concept of the participation and responsibility of individuals in the sustainable development (SD) of the world from a Christian ethics point of view. The Christian ethics perspective is based on the biblical command to care for and protect creation. Nevertheless, errors have been repeated throughout history because of a misunderstanding of human responsibility for what has been entrusted to man from the beginning. The article explores not only these mistakes, but also the concept of a properly understood individual responsibility from the point of view of Christian ethics. The ideal from the perspective of Christian ethics is followed by our own qualitative research. The research sample consists of 120 young adults. During the research, the perception of a person’s individual responsibility tasks for SD is explored from the perspective of university students. The research findings answer the question of in which of the four areas of SD do respondents...
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Various forms of social media (SM) appear to be very popular among young people because they provide information and entertainment, including a wide range of web technologies such as blogs, wikis, online social networks, and virtual... more
Various forms of social media (SM) appear to be very popular among young people because they provide information and entertainment, including a wide range of web technologies such as blogs, wikis, online social networks, and virtual networks. SM plays a huge role in the lives of children and teenagers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the computer becomes not only a means of entertainment or leisure, but also a necessary and everyday means of education and communication with other people. Thus, COVID-19 has brought a radical change, not only in the daily schedule and leisure time of pupils and students, but also in the perception of the procedures used by this specific group in the online space. Through our own research, using structured interviews and a questionnaire, we examine the use of SM as a tool to promote sustainable well-being in a group of high school students from various schools in central Slovak Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia). The research confirms tha...
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Introduction. The purpose of the current study is to investigate self-assessment and peer feedback as two helpful strategies for facilitating teaching and learning in language classrooms and to investigate the effects of these techniques... more
Introduction. The purpose of the current study is to investigate self-assessment and peer feedback as two helpful strategies for facilitating teaching and learning in language classrooms and to investigate the effects of these techniques on EFL learners' oral performance. Materials and Methods. To achieve the purpose of the study and answer the research questions, a quasi-experimental study was conducted. The participants of the study were two groups of five EFL learners who were called self-assessment group and peer feedback group. The self-assessment and peer feedback techniques were incorporated to the self-assessment and peer feedback group respectively. There were a pretest and posttest sessions and four sessions of treatment were between the pretest and posttest. The instruments used in this study were storyboards and checklists. The data was collected via recording device and then it was transcribed for further analysis. Some parts of the data were also analyzed qualitati...