Contact
+386 1 2411 172
Melita.PuklekLevpuscek@ff.uni-lj.si
Cabinet
125C
Department of Psychology
Prof. Dr. Melita Puklek Levpušček
Melita Puklek Levpušček is a full professor of educational psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Ljubljana.
1994 - graduated in psychology, University of Ljubljana
1997 - MA in psychology from University of Ljubljana with the thesis “Sociocognitive Aspects of Social Anxiety and Its Developmental Trend in Adolescence”
2001 - PhD in psychology from University of Ljubljana by defending the thesis “Development of Psychological Individuation of Adolescents in Different Social Contexts”
2003 - Assistant Professor in Developmental Psychology
2005 - Assistant Professor in Educational Psychology
2011 - Associate Professor in Educational Psychology
2016 - Full Professor in Educational Psychology
In recent years she has been a member of different research groups and projects financed by the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and the Slovenian Research Agency. She was a principal investigator for the Slovenian part in the international project Emerging Adulthood and Individuation in Austria, Slovenia and the USA. She was a project member of the COMENIUS project PAM-INA (Perception, Attitude, Movement-Identity Needs Action) financed by the European Comission within the framework of the Lifelong Learning Programme and the PESCA (Italian-Slovenian crossboard project about the healthy food and sensory education. She is a member of the research programme Applied Developmental Psychology financed by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS). She is a member of the EUTOPIA's research community MOST (Mobility of Student Teachers).
Recent projects:
Romantic relationships in emerging adults
Validation of the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults (ITEA) in different countries http://individuation-itea.si/
International mobility of student teachers and cultural intelligence.
Young people's decision-making for the teaching profession
CLIMYITRESS — Prevalence and factors of climate anxiety among Slovenian youth and innovative digital solutions designed to reduce distress and facilitate pro-environmental behavior (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency, J7-50232, PI: Bojan Musil, University of Maribor, Slovenia, 2024–2028)
Research interests:
Psychosocial development of adolescents (social anxiety, climate anxiety, interpersonal difficulties, individuation in relation to parents and friends, learning autonomy); representations of adulthood and individuation in emerging adults; academic motivation and career development in emerging adults; digital citizenship; personality and social media use in emerging adults; multiple social contexts (family, peers, school) and adolescent development; personality, motivational and social determinants of academic achievement; professional development of student teachers.
Books
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Marentič Požarnik, B. (2005). Skupinsko delo za aktiven študij [Students Working in Groups]. Ljubljana: Educational Centre, Faculty of Arts.
Puklek Levpušček, M. (2006). Socialna anksioznost v otroštvu in mladostništvu: razvojni, šolski in klinični vidik [Social Anxiety in Childhood and Adolescence: Developmental, Educational and Clinical Perspective]. Ljubljana: Scientific Research Centre, Faculty of Arts.
Ingles, C., Torregrosa, M. S., Mendez, X. F., Hidalgo, M. D., Puklek Levpušček, M., & Zupančič, M. (2008). Vprašalnik o medosebnih težavah v mladostništvu (VMTM) [The Questionnaire about Interpersonal Difficulties in Adolescence (QIDA)]. Ljubljana: Psychological Test Publishing, Assessment and Consultancy.
Puklek Levpušček, M. (2008). Lestvica socialne anksioznosti za mladostnike (LSAA) [Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SASA)]. Ljubljana: Psychological Test Publishing, Assessment and Consultancy.
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Zupančič, M. (2009). Osebnostni, motivacijski in socialni dejavniki učne uspešnosti [Personality, motivational and social determinants of academic achievement]. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete.
Peklaj, C., Kalin, J., Pečjak, S., Puklek Levpušček, M., Valenčič Zuljan, M., & Ajdišek, N. (2009). Učiteljske kompetence in doseganje vzgojno-izobraževalnih ciljev v šoli [Teachers competencies and achieving educational goals in primary schools]. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete.
Puklek Levpušček, M. (ur.) in Zupančič, M. (ur.) (2011). Študenti na prehodu v odraslost [Students at the transition to adulthood]. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete.
Puklek Levpušček, M., Podlesek, A. in Šterman Ivančič, K. (2012). Dejavniki bralne pismenosti v raziskavi PISA 2009, (Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes, 21). Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. http://www.pei.si/Sifranti/StaticPage.aspx?id=124.
Zupančič, M. (ur.) in Puklek Levpušček, M. (ur.) (2018). Prehod v odraslost : sodobni trendi in raziskave [Emerging adulthood: Current trends and research]. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete.
Puklek Levpušček, M. (ur.) in Depolli Steiner, K. (ur.) (2021). Izzivi in prakse poučevanja psihologije v srednjih šolah. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete.
Chapters
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Zupančič, M. (2007). Slovenia. In J. J. Arnett (ed.), International Encyclopedia of Adolescence, 2 vols (pp. 866-877). Routledge: Taylor & Francis: New York, London.
Puklek Levpušček, M. (2010). Academic motivation, learning behaviour and achievement. In C. Peklaj (Ed.), Teacher competencies and educational goals (pp. 75-106). Aachen: Shaker Verlag.
Ilc Klun, M., & Puklek Levpušček, M. (2014). Europe and the EU: relationship between attitudes and knowledge among Slovenian students. In A. Klonari and T. Resnik Planinc (Eds.), European identity at the crossroads (pp. 123-138), Europa lernen, vol. 3. Zürich; Berlin: LIT.
Puklek Levpušček, M. (2015). Motiviranje otrok za zdravo prehrano. V: A. Podlesek (ur.), Otrok tega noče jesti - kaj pa zdaj? : senzorni pristop k vzgoji za zdravo prehranjevanje (str. 47-56). Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete.
Puklek Levpušček, M. (2018). Mladi, študij in karierna pričakovanja. V: M. Zupančič (ur.) in M. Puklek Levpušček (ur.), Prehod v odraslost: sodobni trendi in raziskave (str. 157-192). Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete.
Uršič, L. in Puklek Levpušček, M. (2020). Učenci zadnje triade OŠ in dijaki o učenju na daljavo med epidemijo COVID-19. V: LEP, Žan (ur.), HACIN BEYAZOGLU, Kaja (ur.). Psihologija pandemije : posamezniki in družba v času koronske krize. 1. izd. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete. 2020, str. 191-203. https://e-knjige.ff.uni-lj.si/znanstvena-zalozba/catalog/download/243/3…
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Puklek Levpušček, M.(2006). Adolescent individuation in relation to parents and friends: Age and gender differences. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 3, 238-264.
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Videc, M. (2008). Psychometric properties of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SASA) and its relation to positive imaginary audience and academic performance in Slovene adolescents. Studia Psychologica, 50(1), 49-65.
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Zupančič, M. (2009). Math achievement in early adolescence: The role of parental involvement, teachers’ behavior, and students’ motivational beliefs about math. Journal of Early Adolescence, 29(4), 541-570.
Pečjak, S., Puklek Levpušček, M., Kalin, J., Valenčič Zuljan, M., & Peklaj, C. (2009). Student’s social behaviour in relation to their academic achievement in primary and secondary school : teacher’s perspective. Psihologijske teme, 18(1),55-74.
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Gril, A. (2010). Patterns of individuation in Slovenian adolescents and their relationship with adolescents’ perceptions of parents, friends, and teachers. Behavioral Psychology/Psicologia Conductual,18(1), 119-138.
Zupančič, M., Ingles, C. J., Bajec, B., & Puklek Levpušček, M. (2011). Reliability and validity evidence of scores on the Slovene version of the Questionnaire about interpersonal difficulties for adolescents. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 42, 349-366.
Garcia-Lopez, L. J., Inglés, C. J., García-Fernández, J. M., Hidalgo, M. D., Bermejo, R., & Puklek Levpušček, M. (2011). Psychometric properties and clinical cut-off scores of the Spanish version of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents. Journal of Personality Assessment, 93(5), 474-482.
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Berce, J. (2012). Social anxiety, social acceptance and academic self-perceptions in high-school students. Društvena istraživanja, 21, 405-419.
Valenčič Zuljan, M., Peklaj, C., Pečjak, S., Puklek Levpušček, M., & Kalin, J. (2012). Didactic competencies of teachers from the learner’s viewpoint. Educ. stud., 38, 51-62.
Zupančič, M., Komidar, L. & Puklek Levpušček, M. (2012). Individuation in relation to parents : A case with Slovene emerging adult Students. Cogn. creier comport.,16, 265-292.
Puklek Levpušček, M., Zupančič, M., & Sočan, G. (2013). Predicting achievement in mathematics in adolescent students : The role of individual and social factors. Journal of Early Adolescence,33,523-551.
Brković, I., Keresteš, G., & Puklek Levpušček, M. (2014). Trajectories of change and relationship between parent-adolescent school-related conflict and academic achievement in early adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence, 34(6), 792-815.
Komidar, L., Zupančič, M., Sočan, G., & Puklek Levpušček, M. (2014). Development and construct validation of the Individuation test for emerging adults (ITEA). Journal of Personality Assessment, 96, 503-514.
Zupančič, M, Komidar, L., & Puklek Levpušček, M. (2014). Individuation in Slovene emerging adults: its associations with demographics, transitional markers, achieved criteria for adulthood, and life satisfaction. Journal of Adolescence, 37, 1421-1433.
Zupančič, M., Friedlmeier, W., Puklek Levpušček, M., Sirsch, U., Bruckner, J., & Horvat, M. (2014). Perceptions of achieved criteria for adulthood among Austrian, Slovene, and U. S. students. SAGE open, okt. - dec. 2014. http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/4/4/2158244014556997.
Puklek Levpušček, M., Ingles Saura, C. J., Marzo Campos, J. C., & Garcia-Fernandez, J. M. (2015). School anxiety inventory: reliability and validity evidence in a sample of Slovenian adolescents. Psychology in the Schools, 52(9), 860-873.
Komidar, L., Zupančič, M., Bjoernsen, C., & Puklek Levpušček, M. (2016). Development of the short version of the Individuation Test for Emerging Adults (ITEA-S) and its measurement invariance across Slovene and U.S. emerging adults. Journal of Personality Assessment, 98(6), 626-639.
Puklek Levpušček, M., Rauch, V., & Komidar, L.(2018). Individuation in relation to parents as a predictor of career goals and career optimism in emerging adults. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59(2), 146-156.
Kavčič, T., Puklek Levpušček, M., Zupančič, M., Poredoš, M., & Bjornsen, C. A. (2019). Personal correlates of problematic types of social media and mobile phone use in emerging adults. Human Technology, 15(2), 256-278.
Karatas, S., Puklek Levpušček, M., & Komidar, L. (2019). Demographic factors and individuation in relation to parents predicting attachment avoidance and anxiety in Turkish emerging adults. Current Psychology, 38(6), 1443-1455. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12144-017-9691-8.pdf
Šterman Ivančič, K., & Puklek Levpušček, M. (2020). Branje mladih leta 2009 in leta 2018 ter razlike v branju glede na spol in izobraževalni program. Šolsko polje: revija za teorijo in raziskave vzgoje in izobraževanja, 31(1/2, 11-33 https://www.pei.si/ISSN/1581_6044/1-2-2020/1581-6044.31(1-2).pdf
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Cukon, M. (2020). That old devil called 'statistics': statistics anxiety in university students and related factors. CEPS journal : Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal. https://www.cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/article/view/826/434
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Uršič, L. (2021). Slovenian parents' views on emergency remote schooling during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. CEPS journal : Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, vol. 11, pp. 263-290, doi: 10.26529/cepsj.1127.
Puklek Levpušček, M in Glavač, T. (2023). Beliefs about romantic relationships and sexual attitudes predicting romantic relationship experiences, intentions, and dating app use. The Open Psychology Journal, 16, Article e18743501268052. https://openpsychologyjournal.com/VOLUME/16/ELOCATOR/e18743501268052/FU…
Glavač, T.,& Puklek Levpušček, M. (2024). Romantic experiences in emerging adults: How they relate to the importance of romantic relationships and the quality of relationships with parents. Društvena istraživanja, 33 (2), 223-245. https://doi.org/10.5559/di.33.2.03
Puklek Levpušček, M., & Depolli Steiner, K. (2024). Perceptions of the teaching profession and motivation to teach among Slovenian university students. CEPS journal : Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1745