Overview

Lenka is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and a trained guidance counsellor. Her research interests centre around the intersection of mental health, social inclusion, and relationships in schools. Lenka's current project targets teachers’ wellbeing and the development of skills to support social and emotional capacities in children and young people.

Lenka comes from Slovakia and is interested in seeking ways to translate established strategies and approaches around mental health and wellbeing support in schools into educational systems in Central and Eastern Europe in culturally-sensitive and context-specific ways. She is an advocate of participatory approaches to research and has been actively involving children, young people, and adults in her research activities.

Qualifications

PhD in Education (Psychology of Education), University of Cambridge

MPhil Education (Psychology of Education), University of Cambridge, Distinction

British Psychological Society graduate conversion course, University of Cambridge

MA Applied Psychology (Guidance Counselling), University College Cork, Ireland, First Class Honours

Diploma in Social and Psychological Health Studies, University College Cork, Ireland, First Class Honours

Fellow with the Higher Education Academy

Career

Research

2017 - 2020       Research Assistant, University of Cambridge, joined Faculty of Education & NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough project

Papworth FICE project: Barriers and facilitating factors to impact change in clinical practice through CPD

• Interviewing medical practitioners, cardiology & anaesthesia trainees: recruiting participants; preparing interview schedules; organising interviews, recordings and transcriptions
• Coding data in NVivo, supporting the conceptualization of findings, leading to survey preparation
• Coordinating and facilitating focus groups with medical trainees to validate survey questions

2019 - 2019       Research Consultant, Cambridge Assessment, Cambridge-Malaysia Collaboration, Educational Reform

• Monitoring and evaluation of the CEFR–Cambridge English curriculum roll-out in schools
• Contributing to the qualitative analysis report for the Ministry of Education in Malaysia

​2016 - 2018       Research Assistant, University of Cambridge, Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL) Research Centre

Social Play, Social Lives research area: Children Relationships through Play

• Video coding dyadic play of children at the age of 5-6 years 

Stepping stones in science: Guiding playful learning’ research area

• Piloting measures on autonomy, motivation and executive functions in primary school classrooms
• Developing child-led pedagogical approaches for teaching science in primary schools
• Working with teachers as co-researchers, organising and facilitating workshops
• Conducting literature review to support Theory of Change for the role of play in education
• Preparing summary documents and graphical displays of findings
• Reception and Year 1 children – Disclosure & Barring Service Certificate

Teaching

2018 - 2021       Teaching Assistant, University of Cambridge

Research group links

• Centre for Special Educational Needs and Disability

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Research

Research interests

I am particularly interested in researching:

• Peer relationships
• Mental health & wellbeing
• Teacher training and psychosocial upskilling
• Social cognitive development
• Inclusive education
• Playful learning
• Childhood & adolescence
• Social and emotional experiences
• Positive psychology

My methodological expertise includes:

• Qualitative research
• Interviews and focus group
• Participatory research with children and young people
• Art-based / visual methods
• Classroom and playground observations
• Psycholinguistic assessment
• Sociometric methods
• Phenomenological qualitative analysis
• Thematic / framework qualitative analysis

Publications

Janik Blaskova, L., & Gibson, J.L. (2024). Exploring concepts of friendship formation in children with language disorder using a qualitative framework analysis. International Journal of Language and Communication, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.13021

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

Janik Blaskova, L., & Gibson, J.L. (2023). Children with language disorder 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., & 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. (2021). Reviewing the link between and language abilities and peer relations in children with Developmental Language Disorder: The importance of children’s own perspectives. Autism & Dev Lang Impairments. https://doi.org/10.1177/23969415211021515

Hofmann, R., Arenge, G., Dickson, S., Marfan-Sanchez, J., Ryan, M., Tiong, N.D., Radia, B.K., & 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. 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). Conference proceedings.

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.

Research projects

Fostering psychosocial skills in teachers in Slovakia - Pilot study. In collaboration with the Social and Health Project, Ireland, and the League for Mental Health in Slovakia.

Impact change to clinical practice through continuous professional development (2017, 2019-2020), Joined project of Faculty of Education (University of Cambridge) and Papworth FICE (NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough)

Educational Reform: Cambridge-Malaysia Collaboration (2019), Cambridge Assessment 

Social Play, Social Lives: Children relationships through play project (2018), Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL) Research Centre, University of Cambridge

Stepping Stones in Science: Child-led pedagogy for teaching science with teachers as co-researchers (2016-2017), Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL) Research Centre, University of Cambridge

Research networks

Relational Health Research Group, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter

National Centre for Research Methods, UK

Centre for Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusive Education, Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter

Wellbeing & Inclusion Special Interest Group, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge

Cambridge Neuroscience, University of Cambridge

Psychology, Education and Learning Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge

Emerging Minds, UK

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Publications

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Teaching

• Co-leading modules on the MSc Psychology Conversion Programme accredited by the British Psychological Society
• Developing an online version of the MSc Psychology Conversion Programme, in collaboration with the Department of Psychology 
• Teaching on the MA Programmes offered by the School of Education
• Collaborating with the College of Medicine and Health on research projects
• Supervising the research projects of master students

Modules

2023/24

Information not currently available

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