The Potency of Humor and Instructional Self-Efficacy on Art Teacher Stress

Abstract

This quantitative study was sparked by a keen interest in art teachers who practice humor in challenging school environments. Stressors unique to art education can cause teachers to lose heart in such a way that their ability to perform is compromised. To teach effectively, teachers must maintain resilience to cope with stress. Pedagogical humor, a theme of resilience, serves teachers socially, emotionally, and cognitively in classroom practice. Public school art teachers completed auto-report scales measuring sense of humor, self-efficacy beliefs, and perceived stress. Correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed a positive relationship between high humor perceptions and effective instruction when controlling for age, gender, and experience. Instructional efficacy declined as perceived stress escalated. This study proposes that professional development and preservice teacher training programs focus on the development of humor disposition and instructional humor strategies.