Teachers are constantly looking for solutions, methods, and tools that make teaching more effective. Teachers must constantly strive to use methods and tools that promote or maintain the effectiveness of teaching.
The effectiveness of using humour has been studied by several researchers (Jonas 2000; Gorham and Christophel 2009; Tisljár 2011; Lazarus, Role, and Genga 2011). In study “The Role of Humour in Teaching: Teacher Training Students’ Image of Teacher and Views on Teaching”, researchers present surveys that believe help one consider whether the use of humour is a possible path, a way of teaching in everyday life, an effective tool for increasing school performance and strengthening the teacher–student relationship. The researchers present the forms of humour, its positive and negative effects as well as the role of the use of humour in teacher–student relationship and communication.
It is indisputable that proper, positive humour used by the teacher has a good effect on establishing and maintaining a trusting teacher–student relationship and good cooperation, an efficient management of conduct situations and pedagogical problem situations in general, creating discipline and a good work atmosphere, helping to understand the material to be learned, and maintaining learning motivation. However, all these require not only a sense of humour but also teachers’ assertive behaviour and the use of effective communication strategies. As it can be seen in the opinions of teacher candidates, good humour is not a substitute for professional and methodological competence or for basic competencies such as communications skills, problem-solving skills, and decision-making skills. When using teacher/classroom humour, the sense of proportion should also be taken into account as too much humour as well as a humour-free, boring lesson distracts attention from the material to be learned and slows down the teaching-learning process. In case of too much and inappropriate humour, the focus of attention should always be shifted back to the lesson. On the other hand, maintaining interest is difficult to achieve during boring, monotonous, humour-free lessons. Humorous tone often takes the edge off the communication situation, making it playful. It can also play an important role in the relationship between teachers and students as it dissolves negative emotions and brings people closer to each other. By succeeding in arousing interest in their subjects, teachers can initiate a process of cognitive development in adolescent personality that can be the basis for outstanding school performance. Teachers can achieve a lot with humour as a specific way of communication, but only jokes, puns, examples, or feedback that do not harm the children’s/students’ selves can be used.
Read full research: The Role of Humour in Teaching: Teacher Training Students’ Image of Teacher and Views on Teaching
