Understanding Teacher’s Humor and Its Attributes in Classroom Management: A Conceptual Study

Abstract

Humor is a concept that has been examined so far in several fields of study such as health, philosophy, or history, to name a few. In education, the use of humor has been presented as a strategy which, when used sensitively, can create a pleasant atmosphere in the classroom that is not only conducive for student learning, but also for their personal growth. This article provides a conceptual analysis of this concept in the context of educational sciences. The objective of this study is to identify the defining attributes of the concept of humor in the field of education to better understand it and to foster its use by teachers. Walker and Avant’s (2011) framework for concept analysis was used to analyze the concept. Humor can be identified by five attributes: (1) a skill; (2) a way to communicate; (3) an educational strategy; (4) a personal perspective; and (5) a positive emotional and behavioral response. This concept analysis clarified some of the ambiguities of humor found within the educational literature and proposed a definition of humor that is unique to classroom management. Our findings nonetheless lead to a more comprehensive understanding of humor in school, thereby constituting the first step in the study of its related concepts.