Humor’s Role in the Learning of the General Education Courses: Perceptions of the Students of the University of the Philippines Manila College of Arts and Sciences

Abstract

Communication is a vital force in people’s lives and in the society. Each day, people encounter different communication situations, which may either have the function of informing, entertaining, instructing, or even persuading. These functions do not necessarily occur in isolation. One situation in which almost all of these functions are manifested is the classroom situation. Classrooms are for learning and may involve a teacher imparting information or students learning on their own. All the teacher’s behaviors that promote learning inside the classroom, such as the structuring and implementation of rules for the completion of task and for the maintenance of order within the classroom is termed as classroom management. All of these processes and transactions take place through communication. As the manager of the classroom, the teacher should facilitate the interaction and oversees the relationships within the class to motivate and encourage the students. This, however, could only occur with the right atmosphere. A supportive communication climate supposedly exhibits acceptance, friendliness, attentiveness and recognition, and one means of achieving this is through the use of humor. In attaining supportive communication climate, the role of humor has been identified. Humor releases stress and tension, motivates students, catches their attention, and supposedly establishes good interpersonal relationships. All these are also said to relieve boredom, and to combat emotional burnout and the pressures of teaching. The literature, however, is not conclusive as to whether humor actually facilitates learning in the classroom or not. Some studies suggest that the incorporation of humor in classroom discussion leads to learning; other studies, however, insinuate that humor only serves to motivate students and cause their enjoyment but not necessarily ensures learning and retention (Civikly 1992: 136; Andres 1990: 51). This study therefore seek to verify whether humor facilitates the learning of the GE courses during classroom lecture and discussions in the University of the Philippines- Manila College of Arts and Sciences (UPM-CAS). More specifically, the researcher also seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What are the primary reasons (intent) why teachers use humor? 2. What are the frequently used types of humor in the classroom? 3.) Which types of humor are considered offensive and/or appropriate for use in the classroom? 4.) In what way does the use of humor to catch attention, help in producing an environment conducive for learning? 5. Do students feel motivated when humor is part of the classroom interaction? 6. Do students learn better when the teachers incorporate humor in their instruction/discussion? and 7. In what way does humor affect the teacher-student relation in the classroom? This explanatory study employed the survey research and participatory research designs. Both qualitative and quantitative data was gathered for this study. A cross-sectional type of survey was conducted with selected freshman students of UPM-CAS who enrolled in the GE courses offered in the second semester of the SY 2000-2001. Likewise, an interview schedule was accomplished by the professors and instructors of these GE courses. To further validate this study, the researcher observed the chosen GE courses classes. Furthermore, it tried to link humor and the cognitive learning of students. A cross tabulation of the survey results from two groups was made to look into any possible association between humor and learning. The study showed that humor is employed in the lecture or discussion primarily to gain the student attention, to relax the their minds, and to avoid a monotone lecture. The professors of GE courses are most inclined in imparting stories and anecdotes in their discussion. The students easily remembered the “green” jokes. Furthermore, the students suggest that for humor to be appropriate, it must be related to the subject matter, timely, and fit to the personality of the students. Jokes that ridicule are found to be offensive. Finally, the data reveal that humor, if used appropriately, creates a relaxed and casual communication climate thereby making the environment conducive for learning. It is also effective in ensuring the participation of the students in the discussion and in relating the information/lessons imparted during the discussion. However, it has no direct connection to the attendance of the students and does not aid students retain the lessons. On the other hand, it does not seem to affect the students’ attitude nor help them retain the lessons.