Advisers

Maria Regina V. Baluyut

Discipline

Psychology

Abstract

This study examined how humor influences effective teaching practices. It considered affiliative, self-enhancing, self-defeating, and aggressive humor and their relationships with classroom interaction, motivation, and participation. The study evaluated humor as a contemporary educational strategy that may support the academic and emotional well-being of teachers and learners. The study used a descriptive-correlational design and involved 100 faculty members from different departments at Bestlink College of the Philippines, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Humor Styles Questionnaire and a researcher-developed questionnaire. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, ranking, a Likert scale, weighted mean, and Spearman’s rho. Findings indicated low use or endorsement of the 4 humor styles, with responses generally ranging from disagree to moderately disagree, possibly reflecting contextual and sociocultural factors. A stronger sense of humor and greater self-efficacy were associated with better classroom management and more structured teaching methods. Emotional engagement was the most evident type of student engagement, followed by behavioral and cognitive engagement. No significant correlation was found between teachers’ use of humor and teaching proficiency, suggesting that humor functioned more as a personal strategy than as an instructional competency. The limited use of adaptive humor styles highlights the need to encourage affiliative and self-enhancing humor while discouraging aggressive and self-defeating humor. When used appropriately, humor may support teaching by strengthening collaboration; however, the findings indicate that it is a supportive personal strategy rather than a direct indicator of teaching expertise. Institutions may provide professional development on the appropriate use of adaptive humor in educational settings.

Keywords

Classroom Management, student engagement, Teaching Strategies, Humor Styles, Teaching Expertise