Author: Ifra Shahid
Supervisor: Saima Ghazal, PhD
Degree: BS
Year: 2012-2016
University: Institute of Applied Psychology, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
The current study aimed to find out teacher’s use of humor in classroom and its relationship with students’ rating of teaching effectiveness in terms of motivation of students, creation of engaging lessons, anxiety reduction in students, stimulation of thought and interest in students, and fostering of positive teacher-student relationship. Correlation design was used to find relationship between humor used by teachers and teaching effectiveness in terms of student performance. The total sample consisted in 100 (50 = men, 50 = women) students from 2 government and 2 private universities and 122 teachers. The non-probability convenience sampling technique was used. Research instruments included Students’ Opinion of Teaching Scale (Elizabeth, Genga & Makewa, 2013) had subscales measuring humor production, students’ motivation, class engagement, stimulation of thoughts and interest, anxiety reduction in students and fostering of student-teacher relationship. It was hypothesized humor used by teachers is likely to have a positive relationship with motivation of students, creation of engaging lessons, anxiety reduction in students, stimulation of thought and interest in students and fostering of positive teacher-student relationship. Similarly, humor used by teacher was the predictor of teaching effectiveness in terms of motivation of students, creation of engaging lessons, anxiety reduction in students, stimulation of thought and interest in students and fostering of positive teacher-student relationship. Results of correlation and regression analysis revealed positive relationship between teachers’ sense of humor and student’s motivation, reducing anxiety, class engagement, fostering teacher student relationship and overall teaching effectiveness. The humorous teachers scored more on motivating the students, reducing class anxiety, class engagement, and their overall teaching effectiveness were also higher as compared to non-humorous teachers. These findings will be helpful for institutions to make an intervention program which can make different strategies on how to deliver lecture in humorous way during classroom by instructors.
Keywords: Humor, Motivation, Anxiety, Class Engagement, Stimulation of Thoughts.
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Corresponding Address: Department of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Email: chairperson@appsy.pu.edu.pk, Phone: 92-42-9231245
