5 │ USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN DISTANCE LEARNING Distance learning in basic and upper secondary schools in the Czech Republic 30 CHART 11 | Changes in the levels of teachers’ digital competences compared to the situation before the start of distance learning in the spring of 2020 on a scale from 1 to 9 The successful development of digital competences was influenced by the support provided to teachers or, as the case may be, ensured or found by the teachers themselves. A sufficient amount of digital equipment and its quality were of fundamental importance. The school management provided us with digital equipment (laptops, graphics tablets). What helped me was the purchase of better equipment that we use. We received new technical equipment in December. What persisted in some schools was the insufficient coordination role of the school principal. Support for teachers is crucial and its absence was a mistake in the spring, but the same mistakes after a year of distance learning are evidence of a fundamental failure in school management. 11We have a very difficult situation with the ICT administrator (the situation with the school’s computer equipment is sad, and there is little willingness on its part to support teachers). We have to help ourselves. Laptops are all different and often incompatible with each other. During distance learning, I had to return a better computer, and I got a less powerful and older one. I’m not satisfied with the technical support. The school can only use services of a shared ICT coordinator, so the handling of requests through the deputy principal is inflexible. Most teachers stated that they could use ICT administrators and that the management offered them training focused on distance learning. Support provided by ICT administrators and methodologists was higher in upper secondary schools, as their role in basic schools was often performed by teachers. 11 The Czech School Inspectorate drew attention to the lack of coordination on the part of about one third of school principals in the first period of distance learning in the spring of 2020 in the thematic report from May 2020. The coordination role of school principals is absolutely crucial for the successful mastering of distance learning. 0 % 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 10 %20 %30 %40 %50 %60 %70 %80 %90 %100 %neúplné ZŠúplné ZŠgymnáziamaturitní SOŠnematuritní SOŠbez výraznějšího posunu (zlepšení maximálně o 1 stupeň)1 point) mírný posun k lepšímu (zlepšení o 2 až 3 stupně)výraznější posun k lepšímu (zlepšení o 4 až 6 stupňů)velmi výrazné zlepšení (zlepšení o 7 a více stupňů)non-Maturita STSs Maturita STSs secondary general schools complete BSs incomplete BSs 0% without significant shift (improvement by a maximum of significant shift for the better (improvement by 4 to 6 points) slight shift for the better (improvement by 2 to 3 points) very significant improvement (by 7 or more points)