This archive is a curated collection of recent publications relevant to the use of humour in teaching and learning. Our aim is to provide educators, researchers, and practitioners with up-to-date resources to enrich and inform their practice. We invite our community to explore these materials and contribute additional references to further enhance our collective knowledge.
Publications
Bhat, I. H., Gupta, S., & Sharma, D. (2026). Humour as pedagogical strategy: an empirical study of its effects on student engagement and academic outcomes in Indian educational institutions. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.
https://doi.org/10.1108/Ijssp-04-2025-0247
Cao, J., Wu, Y., & Chen, G. (2026). T-HumorAGSA: A Gated Anchor-Guided Self-Attention Model for Classroom Teacher Humor Language Detection. Information, 17(4), 323.
Li, X., Yan, B., Zhao, B., Wang, H., Wang, Y., Wang, H. (2026). Verbal humour preventively regulates negative emotions in trait anxiety individuals: ERP evidence.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42281248/
Xie, X., & Hu, X. (2026). A humorous social-affective instructional style in generative AI pedagogical agents: effects on cognitive load, immediate learning performance, and learner perceptions. Educational Technology Research and Development.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11423-026-10715-x
Çakir, Z., Çatikkas, F., Türkmen, M., Sengönül, A., Yaman, M. S., Öktem, T., Gönen, M., Güzel, S., & Yel, K. (2025). Preservice teachers’ attitudes toward pedagogical humour: the role of physical activity, sociodemographic factors, and academic discipline. Bmc Psychology, 13(1).
https://doi.org/ARTN 1423 10.1186/s40359-025-03751-4
Gerlofs, B., & Zheng, X. C. (2025). Humour as a Pedagogical Tool: Evidence and Implications for Critical Geography. Antipode, 57(4), 1493–1514.
https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.70019
Ngai, C. S. B., Singh, R. G., Huang, Y., Ho, J. W. Y., Khong, M. L., Chan, E., Lau, T. C. K., Chan, H. Y. E., Wong, W. T., Law, M. S. M., & Koon, A. C. (2025). Development of a systematic humor pedagogical framework to enhance student learning outcomes across different disciplines in Hong Kong. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 8, 100438.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2025.100438
Zhou, W., & Lee, J. C. (2025). Teaching and learning with instructional humor: a review of five-decades research and further direction [Review]. Frontiers in Psychology, Volume 16 – 2025.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1445362
Çakır, Z., Çatıkkaş, F., Türkmen, M., Şengönül, A., Yaman, M. S., Öktem, T., Gönen, M., Güzel, S., Yel, K. (2025). Preservice teachers’ attitudes toward pedagogical humour: the role of physical activity, sociodemographic factors, and academic discipline.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41310894/
El-Sayed, M. M., AbdElhay, E. S., Hawash, M. M., & Taha, S. M. (2024). The power of laughter: a study on humor and creativity in undergraduate nursing education in Egypt. BMC Nurs, 23(1), 259.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01913-0
Ghajarieh, A., Mozaheb, M. A., & Ghaziyani, Z. A. (2024). Playing with words across visual humor in an Iranian EFL context with Arab students: Pedagogical translanguaging for enhancement of multicultural spaces in language education. International Journal of Educational Research, 124.
https://doi.org/ARTN 102278 10.1016/j.ijer.2023.102278
St-Amand, J., Smith, J., & Goulet, M. (2024). Is teacher humor an asset in classroom management? Examining its association with students’ well-being, sense of school belonging, and engagement. Current Psychology, 43(3), 2499–2514.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04481-9
Zulazli, A. H., Mokhtar, M. M., Albakri, I. S. M. A., Tahir, M. H. M., Khalid, P. Z. M., & Zaini, K. (2024). An investigation on the types of humour in English language teaching among Malaysian lecturers in higher education. European Journal of Humour Research, 12(2), 163–175.
https://doi.org/10.7592/Ejhr.2024.12.2.889
Usman, J., Nashriyah, Akmal, S., Ar, M., & Yusuf, Y. (2023). Does humour used in EFL classrooms in Islamic higher education reflect Islamic values? Journal of Further and Higher Education, 47(5), 647–658.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877x.2023.2200133
Luo, R., Zhan, Q., & Lyu, C. (2023). Influence of instructor humor on learning engagement in the online learning environment. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 51(2), 1–12.
https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.12145
Spörk, A., Martinuzzi, A., Findler, F., & Vogel-Pöschl, H. (2023). When students write comedy scripts: humor as an experiential learning method in environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 29(4), 552–568.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2136626
Wu, C.-L., Huang, H.-J., Chen, P.-Z., & Chen, H.-C. (2023). Influence of Junior High School Students’ humor styles and perceptions of their class Teachers’ humor Styles on Teacher-Student Interaction. Current Psychology, 42(19), 16442–16450.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03387-2
Hutchins, T. L. (2022). A Review of the Nature and Development of Humor Appreciation and Considerations for Teaching Humor to Autistic Persons. Semin Speech Lang, 43(4), 347–360.
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1750814
Lavrentjev, A. (2022). The 6th International Geological Congress “Laughter and Humor in a Globalizing World” (Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University, 12-15 May 2021). Novoe Literaturnoe Obozrenie(173), 428–433.
https://doi.org/10.53953/08696365_2022_173_1_428
Ozer, B., & Yaman-Sozbir, S. (2022). Evaluation of the impact of humor used in contraception education on the attitudes of university students towards contraceptive methods. Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care, 27(3), 247–252.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13625187.2022.2026324
Raecke, J., & Proyer, R. T. (2022). Humor as a Multifaceted Resource in Healthcare: An Initial Qualitative Analysis of Perceived Functions and Conditions of Medical Assistants’ Use of Humor in their Everyday Work and Education. Int J Appl Posit Psychol, 7(3), 397–418.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-022-00074-2
Spörk, A., Martinuzzi, A., Findler, F., & Vogel-Pöschl, H. (2022). When students write comedy scripts: humor as an experiential learning method in environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 29(4), 552–568.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2136626
Çopur, N., Atar, C., & Walsh, S. (2021). Humour as a pedagogical tool in teacher-initiated repair sequences: the case of extreme case formulations and candidate hearing. Classroom Discourse, 12(3), 280–294.
https://doi.org/10.1080/19463014.2021.1910051
Dudas, R. A., Ryan, M. S., & Bannister, S. L. (2021). A Pediatrician, a Resident, and a Medical Student Walk Into a Clinic: The Role of Humor in Clinical Teaching. Pediatrics, 148(5).
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053044
Luo, R., & Zhan, Q. (2021). Teacher-humour types and college students’ academic performance in online teaching: The mediating role of academic interest. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 31(6), 602–608.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2021.2001946
Buttussi, F., & Chittaro, L. (2020). Humor and Fear Appeals in Animated Pedagogical Agents: An Evaluation in Aviation Safety Education. Ieee Transactions on Learning Technologies, 13(1), 63–76.
https://doi.org/10.1109/Tlt.2019.2902401
Daumiller, M., Bieg, S., Dickhäuser, O., & Dresel, M. (2020). Humor in university teaching: role of teachers’ achievement goals and self-efficacy for their use of content-related humor. Studies in Higher Education, 45(12), 2619–2633.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1623772
Embalzado, H., & Sajampun, P. (2020). Perspectives of students in Thailand on the use of humor in university classroom. International Education Studies, 13(4), 17–26. Canadian Center of Science and Education.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1249657
Bieg, S., Grassinger, R., & Dresel, M. (2019). Teacher humor: longitudinal effects on students’ emotions. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 34(3), 517–534.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-018-0402-0
Grace-Odeleye, B. E., & Santiago, J. (2019). Utilizing Humor to Enhance Leadership Styles in Higher Education Administration. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 7(2), 171–202.
https://doi.org/10.17583/ijelm.2019.3912
Turculet, A. (2019). Politeness Strategies in Higher Education: A Student Approach to the Sense of Humour. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 11(4), 302–308.
https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/191
Cooper, C. D., Kong, D. T., & Crossley, C. D. (2018). Leader Humor as an Interpersonal Resource: Integrating Three Theoretical Perspectives. Academy of Management Journal, 61(2), 769–796.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2014.0358
Gornostaeva, A., Larina, T., & Ozyumenko, V. (2018). Understanding Humour and Irony in Political Discourse: Pedagogical Approach. 11th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (Iceri2018), 10191–10197.
Bolkan, S., Goodboy, A. K., & Myers, S. A. (2017). Conditional processes of effective instructor communication and increases in students’ cognitive learning. Communication Education, 66(2), 129–147.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2016.1241889
Alsop, S. (2015). The ‘Humour’Element in Engineering Lectures Across Cultures: An Approach to Pragmatic Annotation. Language & Computers, 79.
González, K. J. (2015). Humor from a university didactical perspective – an innovative learning tool for education administration majors: snatching pedagogical smiles. Revista Gestion De La Educacion, 5(1), 65–96.
https://doi.org/10.15517/rge.v5i1.17843
Goodboy, A. K., Booth-Butterfield, M., Bolkan, S., & Griffin, D. J. (2015). The Role of Instructor Humor and Students’ Educational Orientations inStudent Learning, Extra Effort, Participation, and Out-of-Class Communication. Communication Quarterly, 63(1), 44–61.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2014.965840
Styamatova, R. (2014). Pedagogical Realization of the Humour as a Method and Instrument for Teaching in Young Children’s Age. SOCIOINT14: International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities, 765–773.
Kincans, V. (2013). Humor and Laughter in the Pedagogical Communications. Society, Integration, Education, 2013, Vol Ii, 375–385.
de la Puente, J. L. B., & Solís, J. D. F. (2010). Education and Humour: A pedagogical experience in Adult Education. Revista Complutense De Educacion, 21(2), 365–385.
Adamle, K. N., Chiang-Hanisko, L., Ludwick, R., Zeller, R. A., & Brown, R. (2007). Comparing teaching practices about humor among nursing faculty: an international collaborative study. Int J Nurs Educ Scholarsh, 4, Article2.
https://doi.org/10.2202/1548-923X.1303
Southam, M., & Schwartz, K. B. (2004). Laugh and learn: humor as a teaching strategy in occupational therapy education. Occup Ther Health Care, 18(1-2), 57–70.
https://doi.org/10.1080/J003v18n01_07
Bachorowski, J.-A., & Owren, M. J. (2001). Not All Laughs are Alike: Voiced but Not Unvoiced Laughter Readily Elicits Positive Affect. Psychological Science, 12(3), 252–257.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00346
White, L. A., & Lewis, D. J. (1990). Humor: a teaching strategy to promote learning. J Nurs Staff Dev, 6(2), 60–64.
Vizmuller, J. (1980). Psychological Reasons for Using Humor in a Pedagogical Setting. Canadian Modern Language Review-Revue Canadienne Des Langues Vivantes, 36(2), 266–271.
https://doi.org/DOI 10.3138/cmlr.36.2.266
Bryant, J., Comisky, P. W., Crane, J. S., & Zillmann, D. (1980). Relationship between college teachers’ use of humor in the classroom and students’ evaluations of their teachers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 72(4), 511–519.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.72.4.511
