The adoption of physical distancing and quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic to contain virus spread has left the world with schools' closure. In response, schools have shifted into online learning in developed societies while the developing world struggles to opt for online learning due to limited infrastructure and capacity and religious beliefs, in some communities, that discourage online learning. However, there has been a significant increase in the use of Social Media (SM) observed across developing and developed societies and religious communities amid physical distancing. This study was conducted to explore the possibility of SM use in online learning by exploring teachers' attitudes in relation to the effects of physical distancing and increased SM use, SM knowledge and religious leaders' SM use. In a quantitative investigation method, the researchers used a questionnaire as a primary tool to collect the data from 252 teachers of both public and private schools. Partial Least Square Structural Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used as an analysis method to assess and measure the proposed model. The findings are significant to inform how physical distancing amid the pandemic has influenced teachers' attitudes to opt for social media use in online learning. The findings have implications for teachers worldwide, particularly in developing countries, to switch to online learning using SM under challenging situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study aimed to identify the influence of head teachers’ change facilitator styles (CFS) on teachers’ concerns about ICT integration. The three CFS (responder, manager and initiator) were studied in relation to its influence on teachers’ seven stages of concern (unconcerned, informational, personal, management, consequence, collaboration and refocusing) about ICT integration. Both styles and concerns are embodied in the concerns-based adoption model, which guided the theoretical framework of the study. This quantitative study used CFS and stages of concerns questionnaire to collect data from 276 secondary school teachers. Initially, teachers’ concerns were explored, followed by head teachers’ CFS and their influence on teachers’ concerns about ICT integration. The results showed that secondary school teachers’ concerns, regarding ICT integration, were at the initial stages as reflected by their high mean scores on personal and informational stages. Findings inform about the responder as a dominant CFS used by secondary school head teachers. The data suggest differences in terms of the influence of head teachers’ three CFS on teachers’ concerns about ICT integration.

Teachers' eagerness and concern, has been at the heart of the successful implementation of an educational innovation. This study aimed at exploring teachers' concern regarding ICT integration with employing explanatory mixed method research design. The sample size of 300 Pakistani secondary school teachers was identified for the quantitative and 35 for the qualitative part of the study. Stages of concern questionnaire (SoCQ), was adopted as data collection instrument for the quantitative and semi structured interviews for the qualitative part of the study. The findings portray a non user profile of the teachers because of their high concerns, high mean scores, at the stages of unconcerned (M=75.85), informational (M=59.99), and personal (M=57.66). Consequently, low concerns, with very low mean scores, on consequence (M=6.83), collaboration (12.00) and refocusing stages (12.79). The findings suggest for an ongoing and school based capacity enhancement to remain at the heart of reform agenda of ICT integration to meet and accommodate teachers' early stages of concern and enable them move gradually towards their impact related concern profile.

PurposeThis study aimed at exploring food related cultural norms that influence rural mothers' food selection for their primary school aged children (aged 4–7 years).Design/methodology/approachThis is a qualitative study conducted in northern parts of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was applied as the theoretical framework of the study. Within a qualitative research method four focused group interviews with 30 rural mothers were employed to generate data.FindingsThe study found that mothers’ food selection for their children was heavily influenced by certain cultural norms that have become taboos with the passage of time. It is evident through findings that subjective norms have a greater influence on mothers' behaviour than their attitude and perceived behavioural control (PBC).Originality/valueWe ensure originality of this research paper as fewer researches have been conducted to further elaborate the link between socio-cultural norms and food selection. In particular, the influence of this close relationship on child health has been of limited consideration in a developing context. This paper has neither been published elsewhere, nor it is currently under consideration for publication in any other journal.

PurposeThis study aimed at exploring the change facilitator styles (CFS) that secondary school head teachers in Pakistan possess.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quantitative study using Hall and George CFS questionnaire to collect data from 276 secondary school head teachers. The CFSQ used in this study consists of 30 Likert-type questions relating to six scales. The six scales, with five items each in aggregate, form three possible CFS, including initiator, manager and responder.FindingsThe results indicate that most secondary school head teachers (75.7%) in Pakistan used responder CFS to facilitate change in their schools. 16.7% of the head teachers used manger, while only 7.6% possessed initiator change facilitation styles.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has implications for research, in particular in the developing countries where head teachers' leadership practices are rooted in the past with maintaining authority and status quo.Practical implicationsThe study has implications for policymakers and schools in developing countries, like Pakistan, in terms of considering the vital role of head teachers in change implementation. In particular, in the prevailing cluster-based educational management, the study's findings remain valuable for schools in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.Originality/valueThe paper reports the results regarding secondary school head teachers' change facilitator styles in the context of power devolution in Pakistan. The authors believe that the manuscript is appropriate for publication by the international journal of educational management because it is in line with the aims and scope of the journal. The authors assure the originality of this work. It has not been published elsewhere, nor is it currently under consideration for publication in any other journal.