The study investigates barriers of Czech secondary school teachers in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in teaching and in further education in ICTs. The Czech Republic is used as an example of a post-communist country with an evident gap between the digital competencies in general and teachers’ didactic skills necessary for their implementation in teaching. To explore how teachers deal with the challenges of digitalization of the education system, an online questionnaire was created to analyze the use of ICTs in teaching, as well as barriers teachers encounter when using digital technologies and when participating in further education. The results indicate that respondents have average understanding of ICTs and use them rather occasionally in teaching. Data show gender and age differences in the use of various digital means and in the barriers, the importance of social support in using ICTs in teaching, and also the necessity to eliminate prevalent gender stereotypes. Systematic further education that focuses on lowering computer anxiety and the distrust in new technologies might be also a major key in successful digital transformation of schools.

Schools have an irreplaceable role in preparing the young generation for educational, professional, and social challenges, however, this effort fails if teachers themselves are not equipped with sufficient ICT competencies and do not work on their constant development. The presented quantitative study analyzed how secondary school teachers understand and actively use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in their teaching practice and what barriers they encounter in terms of the further education in ICT provided by accredited institutions. In a sample of 1846 Czech teachers who completed an online survey, results showed they lacked both understanding and active use of new technologies, rarely participated in further education, and were unsatisfied with the courses provided to them. Their main barriers to further education were the lack of sufficient technology available in school, insufficient knowledge and skills in ICT, and the lack of support from school management. Unlike in other studies, time was not identified as an important barrier. Possible legislative, educational, and school management consequences regarding the further education in ICT based on the barriers in attending the courses and identified age and gender differences are discussed.