Perceptions of Home Office Studying And Tele-Education During COVID-19 Era in The Czech Republic with Mental Health Context

This paper investigates the requirements and needs of students from the Czech Republic during tele-education and lockdowns in the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2021. Being able to conquer the first COVID-19 wave in 2020 with a small amount of cases, the Czech Republic took the lead in case incidence rates in Europe in autumn 2020, forcing students to a permanent tele-education. This study concentrated on the difference of perceptions on university matters, student life, private life, and further social circumstances of Czech students in autumn 2020. Data was obtained from students of Brno University of Technology by an online survey realized from December-2020 to February-2021. Gathered data consisted of the students’ basic information on the educational needs and means, of the students’ learning framework, and the students’ self-perception on mental health and study. This data was statistically analysed with Chi-square-tests and t-tests to check for significant differences due to student’s gender, student’s year of study, and faculty of study. Results indicate first-year students with critical mental state having a significantly higher inclination towards tele-education instead of reading lecturer-provided reading materials. All students perceived digitalization of education as beneficiary while seeing potentials in the means of education that have a direct relation to their perception on mental health and on their perception of study.