- She has been working at the Faculty of Education of the Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica since 2005. At the De... moreShe has been working at the Faculty of Education of the Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica since 2005. At the Department of Pedagogy she worked first as an internal doctoral student then as an assistant professor, and since 2014 as a university associate professor. Since 2018 she has been the Deputy Head of the Department and since 1.9. 2020 is entrusted with the management of the Department of Pedagogy. In her scientific-research, pedagogical and publishing activities, she focuses mainly on social pedagogy, school socio-pedagogical work, social pathology and its prevention with regard to online risk behavior. She has been the main researcher and co-researcher of domestic and foreign research projects APVV, VEGA, KEGA, Vysegrad Fund and others. In 2013, she obtained a habilitation as an associate professor in the field of Pedagogy. As part of her further education, she completed several courses and trainings with regard to bullying prevention, communication skills, facilitation training, and an inclusive approach to education. She is the author and co-author of 9 scientific monographs, 12 university textbooks and textbooks, more than 50 scientific studies published in foreign and domestic journals, scientific and conference proceedings and more than 60 other professional publications. There are 484 responses to these publications, of which 13 are registered in the WoS and Scopus citation indices and 130 responses abroad. She is a recognized expert in academia, but also in practice. She participated in the education and preparation of methodological materials and materials for social educators in the implementation of national projects supporting the inclusive environment of students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds in primary schools, participated in the creation and processing of professional standard of Social pedagogue. From 1999 to 2001 she worked at the Children's Rescue Line as a consultant, later as a supervisor. Since 2018, she has been the vice-president of the civic association Association of Social Pedagogues. Since 2005 she has been a member of the Section of Social Pedagogy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. She is on the editorial boards of the international journals Social Pedagogy (in the Czech Republic), Pedagogika spoleczna (in Poland), Empowerment (in Poland). She is a member of the review committee of Zeszyty Naukowe Wyższej Szkoły Humanitas Pedagogika (in Poland), member of the editorial board of Edukácia. She is also a member of the Association of Educators of Social Pedagogy (in the Czech Republic) and a member of o.z. Preventista. She is an active assessor of scientific monographs, professional publications and scientific and professional studies in Slovakia and abroad. During her practice, she participated in the organization of several international conferences, professional seminars and events, and was also on the scientific committee of scientific conferences. Within the NP Professional Development of Teachers in the position of consultant for the content of the education program and teaching resources, she provided professional expert advice and consulted on the creation of educational programs and teaching resources according to the framework description in the project. She lectured at workshops for primary school teachers for the Methodological and Pedagogical Center, as well as for social educators within the ASPg.edit
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Kľucove slova: socialna pedagogika, socialna praca, profylaxia, kompenzacia, prostredie, výchova, voľný cas Abstract: In the contribution is attention devoted of historical de- velopment of social pedagogy in Poland. The paper... more
Kľucove slova: socialna pedagogika, socialna praca, profylaxia, kompenzacia, prostredie, výchova, voľný cas Abstract: In the contribution is attention devoted of historical de- velopment of social pedagogy in Poland. The paper concentrates on a task of social pedagogy in the present time. It demonstrates the possibilities of employment of graduates in practice.
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Prispevok približuje aktualne problemy socialnej pedagogiky v Slovenskej republike v teoretickej aj v praktickej rovine. Poukazuje na možnosti uplatnenia socialneho pedagoga v prevencii socialnopatologických javov so zreteľom na možnosti... more
Prispevok približuje aktualne problemy socialnej pedagogiky v Slovenskej republike v teoretickej aj v praktickej rovine. Poukazuje na možnosti uplatnenia socialneho pedagoga v prevencii socialnopatologických javov so zreteľom na možnosti uplatnenia socialnych pedagogov v skolskom prostredi, oddeleniach socialnopravnej ochrany deti a socialnej kurately a pod. Ďalej sa zameriavame na socialno-výchovnu cinnosť socialnych pedagogov v zariadeniach výchovnej prevencie a iných poradensko-výchovných instituciach.
In the present-day society, which is determined by the development of informationcommunication technologies, social-pathological behaviour of children and youth is spreading. A new form of bullying has started to appear on social network... more
In the present-day society, which is determined by the development of informationcommunication technologies, social-pathological behaviour of children and youth is spreading. A new form of bullying has started to appear on social network platforms and in the virtual cyberspace, a form which had been previously found mostly within schools. This paper presents the Facebook social network as a platform for cyberbullying and possible approaches towards prevention of this in schools. It also presents partial results of an empirical research undertaken in 2017 in selected primary and secondary schools in Slovakia. In the research, two research methods were used: a standardized questionnaire Cyberbullying and Online Aggression by S. Hinduja and J. W. Patchin (2010), accompanied by our own extensions.The main aim of the research was to analyse the occurrence of cyberbullying on the Facebook social network in regards to the sex and the age of the researched pupils.
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In this paper we analyse possibilities of drug prevention at primary and secondary schools. At the same time, we present some selected results of the research implemented with the coordinators of drug prevention and the pupils of primary... more
In this paper we analyse possibilities of drug prevention at primary and secondary schools. At the same time, we present some selected results of the research implemented with the coordinators of drug prevention and the pupils of primary and secondary schools in all the regions of Slovakia.
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Pupils' aggressive behaviour towards teachers is a serious educational problem prompting social need for its solution in the school environment. The present research study aims to monitor the current state of pupils' aggressive behaviour... more
Pupils' aggressive behaviour towards teachers is a serious educational problem prompting social need for its solution in the school environment. The present research study aims to monitor the current state of pupils' aggressive behaviour towards teachers. The study is of a theoretical-empirical nature. At the theoretical level, the issue is relatively little treated in the Slovak professional literature. It is paid more attention by foreign authors. The empirical section of the study presents results of our research conducted in Slovakia in 2016 among teachers of the elementary school second level in the Banská Bystrica and Žilina regions, as well as among professional staff at centres for pedagogical counselling and prevention. The research paid special attention to forms of aggressive behaviour, gender differences and causes of these serious behavioural disorders in pupils. Pupils' aggressive behaviour towards teachers may have a variety of forms of which the verbal form such as back-talking and vulgarisms towards teachers is the most frequent. Gender differences recorded in pupils' aggressive behaviour towards teachers showed the prevalence of boys. From the aspect of causes of pupils' aggressive behaviour towards teachers, those were mainly improper parenting and a lack of teacher authority.
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The Internet and cyber-space create a platform where a new form has emerged, i.e., bullying, so far occurring mainly within school premises. The study presents results of empirical research conducted at selected elementary and secondary... more
The Internet and cyber-space create a platform where a new form has emerged, i.e., bullying, so far occurring mainly within school premises. The study presents results of empirical research conducted at selected elementary and secondary schools in Slovakia in 2017. The aim of the study was to elucidate the most frequent current cyber-bullying platforms and occurrence of individual forms of cyber-bullying with regard to cyber-victims. The research sample consisted of 1004 respondents, aged 10-20 (AM 14.9). Empirical data were collected using the method of questioning in the form of a written questionnaire. We focused on cyber-bullies, electronic platforms and identification of cyber-bullying forms from the point of view of cyber-victims and pupils' gender and age. It was found out that 24.50% of pupils reported to have been cyber-victimized, girls more often than boys. The most frequent form of cyber-bullying from the point of view of cyber-victims was abusive or offensive language on the Internet and spreading rumours on the Internet.
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This study focuses on the risks of online activity within the social network sites used by primary and secondary school pupils, with regard to bullying in cyberspace. Questionnaires were used to collect the empirical data. In the first... more
This study focuses on the risks of online activity within the social network sites used by primary and secondary school pupils, with regard to bullying in cyberspace. Questionnaires were used to collect the empirical data. In the first scale, an exploratory factor analysis related to the online activity of pupils was used. It indicated four factors, namely: passive use of social networking sites, active communication on social networking sites, access to high-risk media content, and searching for self-development media content. In the second scale that focused on the forms of cyberbullying, two factors were indicated, namely: bullying through online communication and bullying through visual aggression. The study identified 189 respondents out of 931 pupils from the research sample who had been repeatedly cyberbullied. The research was conducted with pupils of secondary schools and high schools in the Slovak Republic. A relationship between the frequency types of social networking sites' usage and the extent of bullying in cyberspace was observed. The research confirmed the existence of a direct dependence between the frequency of active communication on social networking sites and the extent of bullying through online communication. No statistically significant connection was confirmed between the other factors .
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The aim of the contribution was to map the degree of smartphone addiction in adolescents by means of The Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV) short version designed by Kwon et al. (2013). The construct validity of the research tool was... more
The aim of the contribution was to map the degree of smartphone addiction in adolescents by means of The Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV) short version designed by Kwon et al. (2013). The construct validity of the research tool was established by exploratory factor analysis. A unidimentional solution appeared suitable to work with. The internal consistency of the scale was determined by Cronbach's alpha (0.831). 519 respondents aged 12 to 25 years (AM = 19.41; SD = 3.83) participated in the research. A statistically significant difference was confirmed in the degree of adolescents' smartphone addiction by gender in favour of women, and by age, at which respondents got their first smartphones, in favour of those who got their smartphone at a younger age. The effect size of differences was weak. No statistically significant difference showed in the degree of smartphone addiction by school type attended by adolescents.
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The present monograph presents the results of two empirical investigations conducted in 2020 and 2021. The research investigations were oriented towards primary school pupils (second level) and university students (in undergraduate degree... more
The present monograph presents the results of two empirical investigations conducted in 2020 and 2021. The research investigations were oriented towards primary school pupils (second level) and university students (in undergraduate degree programmes). In the introduction of the monograph, the authors pay attention to the social and global background of risky behaviour in cyberspace, with an emphasis on Generation Z, which is part of the modern digital society. Attention is paid to selected forms of online risky behaviour, as well as the opportunities they may encounter in the social media environment
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The monograph aims to explain the topic and point out that the online risk behaviour among the children and youth must be addressed on the theoretical and empirical levels in the V4 countries: Slovakia, Hu ngary, Poland and the Czech... more
The monograph aims to explain the topic and point out that the online
risk behaviour among the children and youth must be addressed on the
theoretical and empirical levels in the V4 countries: Slovakia, Hu ngary,
Poland and the Czech Republic. The authors describe the current stat e of the online risk behaviour prevention, present the new trends and challenges along with the ways to face them in the V4 count ries. Specific at tention is hereby paid to the prevention of the online risk behaviour in the school environment. The first four chapters have been created by Slovak university teachers; they address the selected forms of the online risk onl ine behaviour in pupils , with the speci fic focus on cyber -bullying. They also deal with radicalism and extremism in the Internet environment as well as current possibilities related to the risk behaviour prevention in the virtual environment. The fi fth chapter analyses the cyber risks for chi ldren and youth in the Czech Republic as well as their prevention. The sixth chapter explains why risk behaviour prevention is of importance in Poland. The seventh chapter addresses the online risk behaviour prevention among the children and youth in Hungary, supplementing the comprehe nsive view of the risks pertaining to the virtual environment and their prevention in the V4 countries.
risk behaviour among the children and youth must be addressed on the
theoretical and empirical levels in the V4 countries: Slovakia, Hu ngary,
Poland and the Czech Republic. The authors describe the current stat e of the online risk behaviour prevention, present the new trends and challenges along with the ways to face them in the V4 count ries. Specific at tention is hereby paid to the prevention of the online risk behaviour in the school environment. The first four chapters have been created by Slovak university teachers; they address the selected forms of the online risk onl ine behaviour in pupils , with the speci fic focus on cyber -bullying. They also deal with radicalism and extremism in the Internet environment as well as current possibilities related to the risk behaviour prevention in the virtual environment. The fi fth chapter analyses the cyber risks for chi ldren and youth in the Czech Republic as well as their prevention. The sixth chapter explains why risk behaviour prevention is of importance in Poland. The seventh chapter addresses the online risk behaviour prevention among the children and youth in Hungary, supplementing the comprehe nsive view of the risks pertaining to the virtual environment and their prevention in the V4 countries.
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This book represents one of the key outcomes of the project titled “Coaching approach as a new form of the development of students’ critical thinking in higher education” funded by Slovak grant scheme KEGA. The idea to develop such a... more
This book represents one of the key outcomes of the project titled “Coaching approach as a new form of the development of
students’ critical thinking in higher education” funded by Slovak grant scheme KEGA.
The idea to develop such a project and to write a comprehensive publication on a given topic has been in our minds already
for a few years. It started to materialize when results of testing the critical thinking skills of university students and findings
from various surveys turned out to be alarming. They showed a significant lack, among the students at Higher Education
Institution (HEI), of those skills which frame the ability of critical thinking; for instance, developing good arguments,
evaluating and understanding relevant data, decision making, and formulating conclusions. Critical thinking should be an
essential skill of every highly educated person and its importance is even more crucial in the present digital era.
students’ critical thinking in higher education” funded by Slovak grant scheme KEGA.
The idea to develop such a project and to write a comprehensive publication on a given topic has been in our minds already
for a few years. It started to materialize when results of testing the critical thinking skills of university students and findings
from various surveys turned out to be alarming. They showed a significant lack, among the students at Higher Education
Institution (HEI), of those skills which frame the ability of critical thinking; for instance, developing good arguments,
evaluating and understanding relevant data, decision making, and formulating conclusions. Critical thinking should be an
essential skill of every highly educated person and its importance is even more crucial in the present digital era.
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The publication Professional Competences and Specifics of the Work of Social Educators in Schools introduces the profession of social pedagogue in the context of the development of social pedagogy in our country, but also abroad. It also... more
The publication Professional Competences and Specifics of the Work of Social Educators in Schools introduces the profession of social pedagogue in the context of the development of social pedagogy in our country, but also abroad. It also analyzes the current state of theoretical elaboration of the issue, the personality characteristics of the social pedagogue, his tasks and functions and defines the competence profile of the social pedagogue. The whole fourth chapter pays attention to the education of social teachers in higher education in Slovakia, as well as to the further education of social teachers who work in educational practice. The fifth chapter analyzes the social and educational activities of social teachers in kindergartens, primary, secondary, but also special schools in Slovakia and in selected EU countries.
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The monograph presents interesting results of research into the experimentation of primary and secondary school students with drugs (N = 3279 students). It also analyzes the possibilities of drug addiction prevention from the perspective... more
The monograph presents interesting results of research into the experimentation of primary and secondary school students with drugs (N = 3279 students). It also analyzes the possibilities of drug addiction prevention from the perspective of prevention coordinators (N 65).
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The paper focuses on the verification of correlation between self-esteem and the quality of peer relationships among adolescent girls and boys individually. To determine the degree of self-esteem, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Scale was... more
The paper focuses on the verification of correlation between self-esteem and the quality of peer relationships among adolescent girls and boys individually. To determine the degree of self-esteem, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Scale was used and for the determination of quality of peer relationships, we used the Friendship Qualities Scale. The results showed a significant relationship between the variables of selfesteem and peer relationships in early adolescence. We also identified differences in relationship intensity amongst girls and boys individually.