Humour In Teaching Research Articles

Libraries, Laughter and Learning

Abstract Humor, properly applied, can be an important tool in facilitating learning and reducing stress in the classroom. This article addresses the use of humor in bibliographic instruction and encourages the use of humor with practical teaching tips and provides examples of the proper and improper use of humor in the classroom.

Ron Laskey: still discovering new lands

Ron Laskey: still discovering new lands

Developmental aspects in students' course selection.

Types of information provided in a Student Course Guide to assist in course selection (CS) were content-analyzed. College courses (N = 215) were coded on 9 variables-instructor and course characteristics, subject matter descriptors, and a criticism dimension-and were correlated with postcourse student ratings of teaching (SRT). Analyses for course levels revealed a developmental trend, shifting from instructor humor and expressive style to learning value variables as predictors of SRT: (a) In 100-level courses, SRTs were predicted from course guide descriptions of instructor's humor. (b) In 200-level courses, SRTs were predicted by instructor's personality and expressive style. (c) In 300-level courses, lack of criticism was the major predictor, followed by interesting course and instructor's humor. (d) At 400-level courses, only academic types of CS information predicted SRTs-interesting readings, interesting course, and instructor's knowledge and expertise.

Use of humour in medical teaching

Humour, whether considered cognitively or affectively, is complex and ubiquitous. It is claimed to have adjunctive value in clinical medicine. Claims regarding its effects also indicate that humour can make a valuable contribution to the educational process. Humour is understood to reduce anxiety and stress, build confidence, improve productivity, heighten interest, reduce boredom and encourage divergent thinking, yet it has been difficult to establish positive value for humour in helping student learning. Approximately equal numbers of studies of the effects of humour on student learning have been negative and positive. Informal observation suggests its use in medical teaching is widespread yet little reference is made to the use of humour in teaching in the medical literature. Research into the role of humour in medical teaching is made difficult by the complex nature of the production, perception and appreciation of humour, by the difficulty in contriving humour in controlled settings, by the importance of the setting as a component of the humour, and by the difficulties in establishing outcome measures for humour interventions. Given these difficulties it is understandable that medical teachers might use humour but are unlikely to study it or write about it.

Don't Smile Before Christmas: The Role of Humor in Education

In teacher training programs across the country, the last thing they tell newly certified teachers is "Don't smile before Christmas!" Veterans of the chalkboard jungle know the dangers that lurk behind the inquisitive faces that greet a new teacher on the first day of school. Yet, the need for control and confidence in the classroom does not preclude the use of humor as an appropriate and effective tool for managing students and helping them to learn in a challenging environment.

Student perceptions of teacher humor and classroom climate

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the relationship between students’ perceptions of teachers’ use of humor in the classroom and their perceptions of classroom climate. Results of two discriminant analyses indicated: (a) the classroom climate of teachers perceived as low in their use of nonhostile humor and who do not use hostile humor at all, was characterized as low in defensiveness and innovation, and high in teacher control and task orientation; (b) classes of teachers perceived as using hostile humor almost exclusively were characterized as low in supportiveness, order and organization, and rule clarity, and high in affiliation among students, competitiveness, teacher control, and defensiveness; and (c) classes of teachers perceived as low in their overall use of humor were characterized as high in order and organization and affiliation, an low in supportiveness, involvement, defensiveness, innovation. From these results, it appears as if both amount and type of humor are important considerations to make regarding the effect of humor on classroom climate. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Humor as a teaching strategy.

Nurse educators often look for alternate teaching strategies to increase students' attention, comprehension, motivation, and retention of content. Frequently, the use of humor has been shown qualitatively to be such a strategy. The author gives some of the theoretical basis for the use of humor in education and some examples of how humor has been used in her own teaching.

An examination of the content of high school teachers' humor in the classroom and the development of an inductively derived taxonomy of classroom humor

This study presents an examination of high school teachers’ humor in the classroom and an inductively derived taxonomy of teacher humor. High school teachers completed a questionnaire designed to assess their frequency of humor use in the classroom, their perceptions of the appropriateness of several different kinds of classroom humor, and their reasons for using humor in the classroom. Also, participants’ descriptions of their last use of classroom humor were coded to create a typology. Results indicated that high school teachers generally use less humor than college teachers, perceive college teacher humor as appropriate, and use humor as a learning facilitator rather than a learning strategy. In addition, a 20‐item classification scheme of teacher humor is presented that is more reflective of the content of classroom humor than previously developed typologies.

Teaching as communicating: Advice for the higher education classroom

Abstract Literature is reviewed and analyzed in an attempt to give teachers practical advice in three areas within the domain of instructional communication: classroom management, student learning, and self‐presentation. Specifically, nonverbal immediacy and prosocial message strategy employment are discussed as options for improving classroom management and for enhancing student learning. Suggestions for the proper use of tests and evaluations to enhance learning are also discussed. Research on teacher humor and the narrative lecturing style are considered as viable instructional strategies. Other factors that students focus on when evaluating teachers' performance are reviewed and classroom applications are offered.

Humor as an Aid in Gerontological Education

Gerontologists are aware of the extent of ageism in modern society that is based on fear and denial of aging. Gerontological educators are challenged to uncover and deal with their own biases as well. Humor is a universal technique for coping with situations which cause anxiety or discomfort: It can transcend social barriers helping to overcome fear and prejudice. The use of humor in teaching is a valuable skill for presenting a body of knowledge which requires substantive facts and awareness of attitudes. This paper presents a selection of humorous anecdotes, riddles, and vignettes about gerontological themes collected by the author during twenty years of social work practice, designed to enrich the educational experience in such areas as demography, physical decline, retirement, mental impairment, sexuality, death and dying, and family relations.

Teaching and Learning with Humor

Two experiments concerning humor in teaching and learning in higher education are presented. The first study used relevant humor in a one-semester statistics course in an experimental group and no humor in a control group. One hundred sixty-one students participated, and the results showed significant differences between the two groups in favor of the group learning with humor. No significant sex differences nor interactions were found. The second experiment was a replication of the first one, using 132 students in a one-semester introductory psychology course. The students (all females) were divided randomly into two groups. Humor was used in one, and the same teacher taught the second group without using humor. Again, significant differences were found: The group studying with humor had higher scores on the final exam. Explanations for the ways in which humor in teaching can influence student learning are given.

Using humor in evaluating student performance.

This article describes an investigation of the effects of deliberate teacher humor as an evaluative strategy on anxiety and performance levels of beginning associate degree nursing students in a stress-producing simulated laboratory setting. While quantitative findings did not show that deliberate teacher humor reduced anxiety, and only partially demonstrated that humor improved performance, qualitative findings indicate that humor influenced both anxiety and performance. The authors suggest that this additional evaluative strategy may enhance the nurse educator's effectiveness in carrying out stress-producing evaluations.

Heuristics for humor in instruction

Heuristics for humor in instruction

Use of humor in instruction

Use of humor in instruction

Humor in Teaching

(1976). Humor in Teaching. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 47, Including Leisure Today, pp. 18-18.

Humor in teaching

Humor in teaching

The place of humor in teaching

The place of humor in teaching