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It's a Bit Inappropriate: UK Students' Negative Perceptions of Using Humor in Teaching Politics

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Title: It's a Bit Inappropriate: UK Students' Negative Perceptions of Using Humor in Teaching Politics
Language: English
Authors: Martin, Alexander P. (ORCID 0000-0003-2364-5613)
Source: Journal of Political Science Education. 2023 19(2):231-249.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 19
Publication Date: 2023
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Students, Student Attitudes, Negative Attitudes, Humor, Teaching Methods, Political Science, International Relations, Teacher Student Relationship
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
DOI: 10.1080/15512169.2022.2131560
ISSN: 1551-2169
1551-2177
Abstract: Existing literature on using humor in teaching identifies several social and pedagogical benefits, ranging from making students feel more comfortable and interested in the subject matter to facilitating a critical pedagogy approach. However, there are several risks associated with humor attempts that are detrimental to learning and to student experiences. Through analyzing qualitative data from three focus groups (FGs) with 2nd and 3rd year Politics and/or International Relations (Pol & IR) students, this article advances a student-centric understanding of the pitfalls of using humor in content delivery. While humor is often subjective, timing, frequency, established conventions, subject matter, and lecture persona all impact how students perceive humor used by lecturers. This article juxtaposes existing literature on approaches to using humor in teaching, and its pedagogical benefits, with empirical evidence of student perspectives and expectations to highlight the practical challenges and risks of including humor attempts in effective Pol & IR teaching.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2023
Accession Number: EJ1389277
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0163824102;[15ub]01apr.23;2023May23.06:17;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0163824102-1">It's a Bit Inappropriate: UK Students' Negative Perceptions of Using Humor in Teaching Politics </title> <p>Existing literature on using humor in teaching identifies several social and pedagogical benefits, ranging from making students feel more comfortable and interested in the subject matter to facilitating a critical pedagogy approach. However, there are several risks associated with humor attempts that are detrimental to learning and to student experiences. Through analyzing qualitative data from three focus groups (FGs) with 2nd and 3rd year Politics and/or International Relations (Pol & IR) students, this article advances a student-centric understanding of the pitfalls of using humor in content delivery. While humor is often subjective, timing, frequency, established conventions, subject matter, and lecture persona all impact how students perceive humor used by lecturers. This article juxtaposes existing literature on approaches to using humor in teaching, and its pedagogical benefits, with empirical evidence of student perspectives and expectations to highlight the practical challenges and risks of including humor attempts in effective Pol & IR teaching.</p> <p>Keywords: Humor; politics; Focus Group research</p> <hd id="AN0163824102-2">Introduction</hd> <p>Although existing literature supports the social and pedagogical potential of using humor in teaching, it also highlights the risks of this didactic approach. It deems that offensive and prejudice-based humor, overly intellectual and unrelatable jokes, out of date cultural references, or irrelevant remarks are bound to fail. To further understand these pitfalls, this study uses empirical focus group (FG) data to develop a nuanced and student-centered understanding of the numerous risks associated with lecturers' humor attempts.</p> <p>This article contributes to literature on the pedagogical use of humor in teaching by using student-centric FG data to corroborate and advance the existing literature on the drawbacks of using humor in teaching Pol & IR. It addresses a methodological gap in the humor and teaching literature which relies on data from lecturers' perspectives or narrow positivist surveys lacking personalized engagement with students. Student-participant FGs, using hypothetical scenarios to facilitate discussion, center undergraduate perspectives in collective meaning-making around academics' humor attempts. While humor and affability may come naturally to some Pol & IR lecturers, this article aims to support those that are considering integrating humor, as a teaching technique, in their content delivery by highlighting the potential risks.</p> <hd id="AN0163824102-3">Using humor in teaching politics</hd> <p>Humor can be a highly effective educational tool for improving students' learning experience[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>] and, if "political Humor is as old as politics" (Shally-Jensen, Jelen, and Rozell [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref2">31</reflink>], 30) then the combination has excellent pedagogical potential. Particularly, if humor is embedded in a critical pedagogy approach using humor in politics teaching, it develops students' capacity to "question answers rather than merely answer questions" (Hayes, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref3">19</reflink>], 254). Likewise, the inclusion of satire, the use of ridicule, irony, or sarcasm to expose a vice or to lampoon an individual, has always been intimately related to politics to criticize the powerful (Gonçalves, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref4">15</reflink>]). Therefore, encouraging the development of critical analysis skills can also enable students to highlight the absurd. "Humor sometimes manages to enhance commonsensical views on political affairs rather than promote radical thinking" (Tsakona and Popa [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref5">36</reflink>], 2) by highlighting the absurdity of political actors' decisions or behaviors.</p> <p>Beavers ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref6">6</reflink>]) and Hayes ([<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref7">19</reflink>]) demonstrate the pedagogical benefits of embedding <emph>The Daily Show</emph> in course design. "Jon Stewart[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref8">2</reflink>] uses humor to point out unique angles of criticism, which essentially forces viewers to see different views, some of which would have otherwise been overlooked" (Beavers, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref9">6</reflink>], 418–419). The show uses "satire and parody as a means of social and political critique" (Torosyan, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref10">34</reflink>], 205) and intellectuals "study and emulate Jon Stewart if they want to be relevant to the public" (MacMullan, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref11">24</reflink>], 57). However, should Pol & IR lecturers adopt political comedy to engage students while making them "think while they laugh"? (MacMullan, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref12">24</reflink>], 58).</p> <p>The literature, however, identifies five potential risks associated with trying to get a laugh. Firstly, social conventions are often defined by location, and the risk of humor attempts being misunderstood is dependent on the location in which the joke is made. Lecturers operate in teaching environments which are not expected to be locations of comedic interaction. "An audience, especially one in a comedy club or at a live television or radio show, comes to the performance voluntarily and is primed to laugh" (Shally-Jensen, Jelen, and Rozell [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref13">31</reflink>], 535). Attendance is usually voluntary in a lecture or seminar, but participants are not primed to laugh. Daniel Audritt,[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref14">3</reflink>] a professional standup comedian and writer, notes that location is an important determining factor in the success of humor attempts:</p> <p>"With a comedy club there is an understanding that you might hear something you don't like or agree with. But with a lecture, you're saying a joke in an environment that's not got those parameters set out. For example, a joke about cancer is dark (humor) in a club, but really inappropriate in a hospital. I think the environment gives an understanding of the rules." (D. Audritt, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref15">3</reflink>])</p> <p>Secondly, comedians risk being misinterpreted because "the reception of any jokes cannot be definitively controlled by the comic" (Krefting, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref16">23</reflink>], 252). Ricky Gervais identified that his work is taken out of context: "They think that every joke is a window to the comedian's soul—because I wrote it and performed it under my own name, that that's really me. And that's just not true" (Michallon, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref17">25</reflink>]). Audiences may misunderstand irony, sarcasm, and satire or not realize that comedians are deliberately adopting a provocative persona to address contentious issues (Gillota, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref18">14</reflink>]).</p> <p>Thirdly, lecturers' humor attempts can also offend or alienate if inappropriate examples are used. The "careless choice of illustrative or anecdotal material might convey the impression that the teacher holds, say, sexist or racist views or is perpetuating an undesirable image of a particular group" (Powell and Andresen [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref19">29</reflink>], 82). Furthermore, relying on humor as a principal method of delivery could undermine the academic's credibility as they may be perceived as "clownish rather than appropriately amusing" (Powell and Andresen [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref20">29</reflink>], 84).</p> <p>Fourthly, students might not have the necessary level of knowledge to 'get' the joke. Appleby's quantitative survey research provides student responses to lecturers making jokes that were too advanced for students. One example in the 'failure to understand students' level of understanding of the information being taught', was <emph>"My math professor was telling us a joke, an intellectual joke, and none of us understood"</emph> (Appleby [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref21">2</reflink>]). Comedians understand the importance of knowing their audience. "Your material might be great but not right for a particular audience" (Carter, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref22">8</reflink>], 133). Audritt tries to learn about his audience and adjusts his material accordingly. "I'd always read the room based on how they [the audience in the comedy club] reacted to an earlier joke or another comic to give myself the best chance of playing the room well" (D. Audritt, personal communication, 2020). The delivery of comedic material requires the 'setup' before the 'punchline', and students also need sufficient subject understanding to understand the joke. Thus, political humor requires some political knowledge, meaning it "cannot be understood by people who are not informed on political issues" (Tsakona and Popa [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref23">36</reflink>], 8). Sufficient <emph>a priori</emph> subject understanding is required for mockery or "subversion" to be amusing and memorable. Instructors who use such comedy must provide students with the tools they need to "get" the jokes and appreciate the humor while keeping the overarching objective of building critical-thinking skills firmly in mind" (Beavers [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref24">6</reflink>], 417).</p> <p>Finally, lecturers' position of relative power over students poses another challenge to successful humor attempts. If faculty misuse their status and power to humiliate, belittle or put-down others, it can "have a very negative impact on students and on their approach to learning" (Powell and Andresen [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref25">29</reflink>], 83). Lecturer-centric research does not capture this power imbalance. Hellman believes lecturers can occasionally "verbally abuse" students and certain students will "volunteer to be the target of these darts" (Hellman [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref26">20</reflink>], 37). Furthermore, "interviewees [academics] generally stated a willingness to tease their students; however, only when they had reached a point in the pedagogic relationship when it was obvious that the mockery is relatively benign, and where trust had developed" (Tait et al. [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref27">33</reflink>], 10). Tait and Hellman do not, however, capture the perspectives of students who do not appreciate being teased. Appleby's survey collects students' opinions but, with the exception of one question, consists of close-ended questions and does not effectively illuminate the power dynamics of the student-lecturer relationship.</p> <hd id="AN0163824102-4">Research design</hd> <p>Existing literature relying on lecturers' perspectives, data from qualitative interviews or narrow positivist survey data lacks personalized engagement with students (Berk [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref28">7</reflink>]). In contrast, this research uses FGs to redress this imbalance by enabling unobstructed discussion centering the undergraduate student participants' perspectives. Individuals' and collective perspectives of humor techniques were comprehensively captured through participants' interactions. Three FGs collected in-depth and nuanced student-centered data from 2nd and 3rd-year Pol & IR undergraduate students from the Universities of Durham, Nottingham, Swansea, and London South Bank in 2020–2021. The sample (<emph>n</emph> = 21) consisted of 7 men and 14 women. Consequently, findings may be biased by the small sample size and gender ratio. FGs were conducted over Zoom, lasted between 60 and 90 minutes, and contained between four and nine participants. Transcripts were anonymized and participants were assigned aliases.</p> <p>FG participants were presented with six imaginary scenarios (see Appendix), where lecturers make "humor attempts" in lectures and seminars. These scenarios were informed by existing teaching and humor literature. The use of hypothetical scenarios mitigated the potential risk associated with the unequal power relationship between the primary investigator (a lecturer) and students, as students may have been reluctant to directly criticize other academics. The hypothetical scenarios sought to redress this imbalance and effectively capture an accurate representation of students' perspectives and experiences (Table 1).</p> <p>Table 1. Literature used to inspire scenario design.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Scenario</td><td>Literature</td></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>1: An opening joke</td><td>"Rule 1: Whatever it takes, get their attention." (Davis and Arend <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr9">2013</xref>, 78–79). Work harder to better engage your students (Hammer et al. <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr18">2010</xref>). "Modern students have a shorter attention span than their predecessors, and expect to be entertained" (Johnson <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr21">2018</xref>).</td></tr><tr><td>2: Lecturer mockery or banter</td><td>"interviewees generally stated a willingness to tease their students; however, only when they had reached a point in the pedagogic relationship when it was obvious that the mockery is relatively benign, and where trust had developed" (Tait et al. <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr33">2015</xref>, 10). Teachers using their status and power to humiliate "can have a very negative impact on students and on their approach to learning" (Powell and Andresen <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr29">1985</xref>, 83).</td></tr><tr><td>3: Memes</td><td>"Memes work better. Since they come with a preloaded meaning, they tick the shared common ground box. They can even be educational" (Tregoning <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr35">2018</xref>). Memes are "very quickly and easily produced and circulated via online social networks, thus allowing individuals to offer their (humorous or not) creative perceptions and comments on current (political or other) events (Avidar <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr4">2012</xref>)" (Tsakona and Popa <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr37">2013</xref>, 2).</td></tr><tr><td>4: Pop culture references</td><td>'Humor that is out-of-date' as a failed humor attempt (Appleby <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr2">2018</xref>) "I always look for humorous sorts of things to exemplify points that I'm making, whether it be from the Simpsons, or other forms of popular culture" (Tait et al. <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr33">2015</xref>, 11). "cartoons of suitable type (e.g. visual puns') can be used with the intention of serving a direct teaching function such as facilitating the learning of definitions and symbols and promoting insights into difficult concepts." (Powell and Andresen <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr29">1985</xref>, 87)</td></tr><tr><td>5: Satirical analogy</td><td>"Stewart uses humor to point out unique angles of criticism, which essentially forces viewers to see different views, some of which would have otherwise been overlooked" (Beavers <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr6">2011</xref>, 418–419). Use of absurdity to develop critical thinking (Torosyan <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr34">2007</xref>, 114). "In presenting politics as the theater of the absurd, Stewart seemingly simplifies it." (Baumgartner and Morris <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr5">2006</xref>, 362). Satirical comedians can use jokes as "a method of critical inquiry... to address societal norms, mores, and injustices" (Hayes <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr19">2016</xref>, 256).</td></tr><tr><td>6: Self-deprecation</td><td>"self-deprecation serves to signal modesty and approachability" (Nesi <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr27">2012</xref>, 87). self-deprecation "had the advantage of appealing to those who, while enjoying and valuing laughter themselves, lacked confidence in their own ability to make students laugh" (Tait et al. <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bibr33">2015</xref>, 11).</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>After the six scenarios were discussed, the participants were encouraged to openly discuss their views regarding the use of humor in teaching and share any positive or negative personal experiences of lecturers using humor.</p> <p>The data analysis process used thematic coding for systematic content analysis. Collected data was firstly coded into deductive "Benefits" and "Risks" categories and secondly grouped into inductive themes which arose from the FGs. This article focuses on the findings related to the pitfalls of lecturers' humor attempt. In addition, ethnographic data analysis of individual quotes provides further detail to the risk themes. This two-level data analysis process ensures the findings are presented differently to interview data, which ensures that "the 'spirit' of the group" is not ignored, while guaranteeing the "specific context within which the material was generated" is not missed either (Wilkinson [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref29">39</reflink>], 196).</p> <hd id="AN0163824102-5">Results</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0163824102-6">Scenario 1: Telling a joke</hd> <p>All participants recognized that a joke at the start of a lecture could be an effective ice-breaker or warm-up that could also make students perceive the lecturer as friendly and approachable. However, three key risks with this humor attempt were identified. Firstly, participants identified that they would not appreciate jokes that take too long at the expense of lecture content. Jenny (FG2) thought <emph>"if it takes a long time, then maybe it will be a problem because that will eat into the lecture time</emph>". Amy and Emma (FG2) concurred:</p> <p> <bold>Amy:</bold> <emph>"If the lecturer starts a 45-minute lecture with a five-minute joke, if I was a third year or a second year who is rushing on my essays, I would think that you might be a bit too pretentious and trying to be too friendly and that you're trying a bit too hard because some of us just want you to get on with the lecture."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Emma:</bold> <emph>"I agree. If lecturers take a long time to start, I always think "what are you doing? Can we just do what we're here for?" If it takes a long time, it's wasting everyone's time."</emph> </p> <p>Secondly, Amy's point about students perceiving lecturers who tell jokes to be trying too hard was echoed by Sarah (FG2); <emph>"if you're trying too hard to appear friendly with the students, it can come across quite bizarre".</emph> Amy (FG2) agreed with Sarah about faculty being over-friendly and recounted a personal experience: <emph>"when he (the lecturer) tried to get a bit personal and asked us personal questions, we found it very bizarre, and we got creeped out by his interactions with us"</emph>. Lecturers using humor to ingratiate themselves with students was also mentioned by John (FG3): <emph>"I've had lecturers that try to make jokes, but they end up being a little bit too much, like they're trying too hard."</emph></p> <p>Thirdly, the appropriateness of the joke was identified as potentially problematic. Participants in different focus groups raised the same point. <emph>"If the joke is too personal or inappropriate, it might make the atmosphere worse."</emph> (Frederick, FG2) and <emph>"as long as it's not an inappropriate joke." (Zara, FG1).</emph> Appropriateness can both relate to how well the lecturer knows the students and if the joke is subject relevant. Some participants did not think an "ice-breaker" joke had to be related to the lecture content while others preferred subject-specific jokes.</p> <p>"...<emph>one problem I have with jokes is that if I don't understand it, especially if it's a reference to Western culture, because I'm not from the UK. And if I don't understand that, I can sometimes feel excluded from the conversation. And that's quite bad. But if it is related to the content of the lecture, then presumably, I should have done the reading. And I should have understood what the joke is. So that can make me feel a bit better."</emph> (Jenny, FG2)</p> <p>Thus, even a seemingly harmless joke has the potential to alienate some students (Powell and Andresen [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref30">29</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0163824102-7">Scenario 2: Mocking a student</hd> <p>Although Tait et al. argued that some lecturers enjoyed engaging in "relatively benign" mockery with their students if sufficient "trust had developed" (2015, 10), FG participants saw negative consequences of this humor attempt, citing it as demotivational and inappropriate. Participants discussed how it would harm their learning experience, notably if the teasing occurred in response to a student asking a question and especially if the jokes are about students not knowing things they are not expected to know:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"I'd have a really sour taste about that. Because you take an opportunity to insult me when I'm putting myself out there and being vulnerable. So I wouldn't take it well at all."</emph> (Kelly, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"I just don't think it's okay, in any situation. They are in a learning environment, you can't just mock people that are trying to learn if they're making an effort."</emph> (Emma, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"It would make me feel that I'll just not ask anything next time if I knew that they would respond this way."</emph> (Jenny, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"There's no advantage to mocking or ridiculing someone who is probably just asking a question to benefit their own knowledge."</emph> (Sarah, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"I think students are usually vulnerable when asking a question because it's admitting that they don't know. And to receive banter in return, can be a pushback for the student, or it can actually be hurtful."</emph> (Eve, FG1)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"I think it's easier as a blanket rule, just to say it's a bit inappropriate because you don't know the student well enough, most of the time, to interact with them on a level that they are comfortable with... Everyone remembers the time that they were mocked, I'd say that at least 70% of us has mentioned a time that they were and we all remember it. And none of us really said it with a good connotation to it, so obviously, it's not that accepted."</emph> (James, FG2)</item> </ulist> <p>Individual responses, as well as group interactions, demonstrated that students did not view humor attempts made at their expensive favorably:</p> <p> <bold>Laura (FG3):</bold> <emph>"I think that's very negative because as students, we're all here trying to learn, and it takes so much courage to speak in a seminar. So when you get that mockery response, it kind of discourages you from speaking again in the seminar."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Victoria (FG3):</bold> <emph>"Yeah, I would second that. I think it's entirely inappropriate, and it's not professional. And because you will have students who sit in that seminar who are too scared to ask a question, and they see that kind of response. And I think it's a reinforcement for them not to ask any questions."</emph> </p> <p>Participants expanded on why the power dynamics of the student-lecturer relationship makes banter or mockery unsuitable. The major caveats regarding student-lecturer joking is that it is acceptable when sufficient rapport and trust is developed (Tait et al. [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref31">33</reflink>]). Only a lecturer with a consistently friendly persona, who regularly makes jokes, and has set a particular "tone" or convention for the course, could make such comments without upsetting students, as FG2 participants noted.</p> <p> <bold>David:</bold> <emph>"I had Dr (blank). He makes so many jokes. And says things that could be a bit unacceptable if he wasn't a lecturer, I mean the political things he implies, but he's funny."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Amy:</bold> <emph>"I also had Dr (blank) as my lecturer. I think it was more about the style he teaches in. I would be fine when he mocks me about something that I got wrong because of the tone that he set for the entire module. So the tone was very important. So like, if he didn't start off with making very, very crude jokes about historical figures in the lectures, then if in the seminars he mocked me with humor when I ask a question, then that would be unacceptable for me."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Primary investigator:</bold> <emph>"... if they set the tone from the beginning, that everybody is fair game, then it's acceptable?"</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Amy:</bold> <emph>"Yeah."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Emma</bold>: <emph>"my seminar leader, we call her by her first name, constantly makes jokes against herself, against political figures, and against people who she knows within the group who can take it. But she's built that rapport with us. So I definitely think that the tone that the person sets consistently reflects the appropriateness of using humor, not even mocking people, but just like saying things that are just very light hearted."</emph></p> <p>However, FG3 participants identify how, irrespective of established rapport, these exchanges could negatively impact other students. Just as "the reception of any jokes cannot be definitively controlled by the comic" (Krefting [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref32">23</reflink>], 252), lecturers cannot be sure how other students would interpret the banter or jokes made with the students who can 'take it'.</p> <p> <bold>Victoria:</bold> <emph>"In my opinion, the student-lecturer relationship is not necessarily strong enough to make a humorous comment like that and for it to land the way they expect. It may work in an individual circumstance, if my dissertation supervisor is also my seminar leader, and he can make that joke with me because we have a good relationship. However, he can't account for how a student who doesn't know us might take that and how they might feel about then asking questions themselves."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>John: <emph>"</emph></bold> <emph>If your dissertation supervisor makes a joke and you're both laughing about it, that's alright."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Victoria: <emph>"</emph></bold> <emph>Yeah, for me, it's fine. But someone else is in the class, who's quite nervous about asking a question ... might worry that they'll have a joke made about them. Just because I receive it well, it doesn't mean that someone would. And I don't think a lecturer is always well placed to judge that."</emph> </p> <hd id="AN0163824102-8">Scenario 3: Using a meme</hd> <p>Participants thought that memes can be an effective teaching tool if used sparingly. The overuse of memes negatively impacts both the content delivery and the perception of the lecturer. FG2 and FG1 participants thought too many memes would diminish the seriousness of the module.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"Every slide had one. And it was funny. And it did initially help to remember the information, but I also took the module a little less seriously, just because every time I was looking at a slide, it was a joke."</emph> (James, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"Putting a joke in every single slide? That creates the whole perspective of the module that it's not very serious and I don't have to be serious."</emph> (Jenny, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"If you put five memes in a row, the students will probably think this is a bit over the top. So it depends on the quality as well as the quantity of memes that you put in a slide."</emph> (Eve, FG1)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"It's definitely good to include a meme, but not go overboard with it.... Overboard would be including several throughout one lecture or basing the lecture around having little jokes here and there, rather than focusing on the actual content."</emph> (Anika, FG1)</item> </ulist> <p>Also, the overuse of memes could change students' perception of the lecturer.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"the lecturer doesn't want to become that stereotypical "alternative" high school teacher that uses memes and tries to be cool and young because it becomes a bit corny and it just loses your attention. And I guess, to an extent, the respect of the class."</emph> (John, FG3)</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0163824102-9">Scenario 4: Using a pop culture reference</hd> <p>Pop culture references are not inherently funny but the scenario notes that the comparison is made using humor (See Appendix). Participants noted that pop culture references help explain complex ideas or concepts and help students remember content. However, <emph>"not everyone follows pop culture"</emph> (Ryan FG1) and the reference <emph>"might not necessarily work if it's an obscure show"</emph> (John, FG3). Also, like memes, participants were skeptical about the overuse of pop culture references.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"I think too many pop culture references would lower the quality of the teaching... you should be a bit funny and put a level of familiarity when you teach, but not too much."</emph> (David, FG2)</item> </ulist> <p> <bold>Laura (FG3):</bold> <emph>"Pop culture examples could be overused. And especially that not everyone relates to those references. So, you're going to use "beer" this time, next time try using something else, like football, or Game of Thrones. It's of subjective interest to students."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Natalie (FG3):</bold> <emph>"I agree with you (Laura). If it's overdone and the analogy is used throughout the whole module, and you don't understand that, it would be less engaging."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Victoria (FG3):</bold> <emph>"I think if it's overused, it draws attention away from what you're trying to teach. I mean, I don't know anything about football, so if it went on and on, I would feel quite bored and kind of unengaged with that."</emph> </p> <p>Participants noted that irrelevant comparisons to pop culture are unhelpful pedagogical tools.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"some are fine, like when it's something relevant and that can be a good analogy, but sometimes they're completely off topic."</emph> (Emma, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"But not just something grabbed from an episode of the Simpsons that has nothing to do with what has been taught."</emph> (Eve, FG1)</item> </ulist> <p>The most problematic application of pop culture analogies is how they could be exclusionary for some students.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"I don't get a lot of these references and I just kind of feel excluded from the conversation."</emph> (Jenny, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"I would completely agree with Jenny. Because I'm international as well and a lot of pop culture references go over my head as well."</emph> (Angela, FG2)</item> </ulist> <p>In response to Jenny and Angela's concerns about pop culture being exclusionary, James (FG2) argued that <emph>"if you're going to mention it, then you have the responsibility of explaining yourself. But, if it's worth mentioning, I don't think it's something that lecturers should shy away from."</emph> However, John (FG3) was not convinced that analogies are effective use of lecture time.</p> <p> <emph>"Spend like 10 or 20 seconds on it. So if there are people who don't know or understand that series, musician, whatever, then it doesn't matter because it's only 10 or 20 seconds. But some lecturers base a quarter of the lecture on that analogy. And then those people who are not aware of it are probably even more lost than when they came into the lecture."</emph> </p> <p>This leaves lecturers who want to use a pop culture analogy to explain a complex idea with a dilemma; When I use a pop culture analogy, do I fully explain its relevance to the teaching point I'm making because I have to assume not all students will understand it, or do I make a quick comparison and move on? The former may bore the students who have no interest in this pop culture element while the latter may leave the students who do not understand it more confused than before.</p> <hd id="AN0163824102-10">Scenario 5: Making light of a serious topic</hd> <p>Inspired by the critical political analysis of programs like The Daily Show, this scenario explored the application of satire to politics teaching as part of a critical pedagogy approach. Participants, however, thought that, for a university setting, this humor attempt could be too silly and inappropriate for serious topics. The absurd analogy example used—an image from the Last Week Tonight—aimed to highlight the self-inflicted economic damage that the UK leaving the European Union would cause. John Oliver argued that "Brexit[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref33">4</reflink>] is basically Pompeii if the citizens voted for the Volcano".[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref34">5</reflink>] Although this appealed to some participants, some considered this humor attempt too silly.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"I think putting this up on the presentation, and I see that I think that's a bit much and it looks a bit amateur."</emph> (Kelly, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"It feels like a distraction on the slide. Especially if I don't understand it, I will spend a lot of time trying to figure it out. And rather than listening to what she has to say that was more important."</emph> (Jenny, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"It could be because it's not my sense of humor. But to me, this is embarrassing."</emph> (Victoria, FG3)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"I think this sort of humor is quite subjective.</emph>" (Anika, FG1)</item> </ulist> <p>Participants also noted that this could be divisive.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"If someone supported Brexit, they could find it inappropriate. And they may mind the silliness that comes with the joke."</emph> (Anika, FG1)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"If somebody felt offended by this because they voted [for] Brexit, that could make them not like the lecturer."</emph> (Zara, FG1)</item> </ulist> <p>David highlighted that using satire on divisive subjects can reinforce cleavages. He noted that "those who think it's really like they voted for the volcano" would like the joke, but pro-Brexit students would not appreciate it. David also drew on his experience and recalled when a lecturer</p> <p> <emph>"was talking about the 2003 war in Iraq, and made a joke that laughed at Britain...something about Britain joining the US and every policeman needs a dog... And all the foreigners understood and they laughed and the British people in the room didn't understand."</emph> </p> <p>Joking about genocide and suicide were amongst the several examples of inappropriate comedy subjects.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"for something like the war in Iraq or Palestine issue, I don't really feel like you can make light of those situations."</emph> (Ben, FG3)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"When you're trying to make light of a serious topic, the delivery of it in terms of it being silly or not isn't what matters, what matters is making light of a serious topic, it's a very fine line to tread."</emph> (Victoria, FG3)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"Not every serious issue is related to a meme or a joke."</emph> (Laura, FG3)</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0163824102-11">Scenario 6: Self-depreciation</hd> <p>Participants agreed that lecturers making occasional self-deprecating jokes can redress the power imbalance and create a relaxed learning environment. However, it can also leave students feeling confused and awkward, especially if the self-deprecation related to lecturer's appearance, personal life, or mental state.</p> <p> <bold>Sarah (FG2):</bold> <emph>"if they sound like they're feeling sorry for themselves, it makes you feel a bit awkward, and how do you respond to that?... should I be saying the opposite to make them feel better?"</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Angela (FG2):</bold> <emph>"Yeah, sometimes lecturers say sad things, and you just end up a bit concerned for them rather than finding it funny."</emph> </p> <p>Jenny (FG2) added to these comments and recalled a lecturer who compared regime collapse to his divorce; <emph>"And he said it with a smile and wanted all of us to laugh and we all were just like "do you want us to comment?</emph>". Emma (FG2) also thought that <emph>"if it gets too personal or too dark, then that's the point where you're like "what's going on? Are you okay?</emph>". Participants in FG1 and 3 also expressed concern about overly personal self-deprecation making students feel awkward.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"She was quite a big lady and she made fun of her weight. I thought it was a bit much. I felt uncomfortable because you don't know how to respond to that. So, I think that's inappropriate."</emph> (Zara, FG1)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"if they're making fun of perhaps their mental health or them getting down, that might affect other students that are facing similar issues."</emph> (Ben, FG3)</item> </ulist> <p>Participants also considered self-deprecation as an indicator of lecturers lacking confidence which undermines their authority. Notably, Ryan (FG1) expressed that students could lose respect for <emph>"a lecturer that keeps making self-deprecating jokes."</emph></p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"If someone's making too much fun of themselves, it comes across like they don't have much confidence. So how am I meant to react? How much do I trust that you trust yourself to give me this lecture when you don't appear to trust yourself? There is a fine line between it being funny and thinking "are you okay?"</emph> (Courtney, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"of course, it's all in jest, but I think them making jokes about themselves is undermining themselves and not really taking themselves seriously. I think it would have an impact on students' learning and also their ability to take the lecturer seriously."</emph> (Anika, FG1)</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0163824102-12">Alternatives to the use of humor: Enthusiasm and relatability</hd> <p>Participants commented on successful Pol & IR content delivery without the use of humor. Firstly, passion for teaching was considered just as, if not more, important than use of humor. John (FG3) noted that <emph>"some other lecturers don't make jokes, but you feel like they really care about what they're teaching. They're passionate about it. So I think that's important as well.</emph>" This led FG3 to discuss an entertaining and eccentric lecturer they all knew. <emph>"I think he was quite experienced and very passionate about teaching. So I think it really came through"</emph> (Victoria, FG3). FG3 collectively decided that enthusiasm for teaching is more important than lecturers being funny. This was particularly pertinent because they thought trying too hard to be funny was detrimental. Additionally, FG2 participants agreed that lecturers should avoid humor attempts that discourage students, especially for "dread courses" (Kher, Molstad, and Donahue [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref35">22</reflink>]).</p> <p> <bold>Frederick:</bold> <emph>"I don't know what's wrong with statistics, but they often try to make jokes that statistics is somehow boring or uninteresting. And it's really weird, because you try to engage with the subject and a lecturer is trying to make jokes. It's making it worse."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Angela:</bold> <emph>"Yeah. I can really agree. A lot of times, lecturers know that something is kind of boring. So they say it, but I feel like that actually just does the opposite of what they're trying to do. Yeah, it would be more fun if they looked for the fun, even in that boring thing."</emph> </p> <p> <bold>Kelly</bold>: <emph>"...we did a lot of statistical workshops.... And the whole atmosphere of the room was just so dead, because we all knew the lecturer presented it to be this thing that we just have to do. They tried to use humor to say like 'Come on, guys. This is really shit but we still have to do it'. That doesn't help us."</emph></p> <p> <bold>James:</bold> <emph>"Every lecturer I've ever had is like, "this is going to suck, let's do it together". It doesn't have to, but if you're going to start like that then, yeah, it's going to suck."</emph> </p> <p>Referring to quantitative political science methods as "sadistics" or making jokes like "if I had only one day left to live, I would live it in my statistics class: it would seem so much longer" (Friedman, Friedman, and Amoo [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref36">12</reflink>], 2) are demotivational and should be avoided.</p> <p>Secondly, some participants thought that relatable examples or analogies could be just as pedagogically effective as humor-based ones. Sarah and Kelly (FG2) discussed how a role-play exercise was not humor focused but was highly effective at applying the political psychology concept of priming and framing in decision making.</p> <p> <bold>Sarah</bold>: <emph>"the lecturer used the example of when your housemates want to order a pizza. But then no one else wants to order a pizza. So how do you present it in the way that you'll get the desired outcome of ordering the pizza? We spoke about this for about 20 minutes in seminar groups... it was really beneficial because we applied it to real life decisions... it was the exact same concept behind the decision making and framing."</emph></p> <p> <bold>Kelly</bold>: <emph>"...it makes it so much easier to understand. And I think she's really effective, our lecturer, in doing that. That's partly why I really enjoy her classes; she just makes things simple. From there, you're able to get more into theory."</emph></p> <hd id="AN0163824102-13">Discussion</hd> <p>FG data analysis provided empirical support to existing literature by confirming that humor attempts can have both unintended and negative consequences, that education must precede subversion with humor, and the social conventions of a higher education institute and the unequal power dynamics of the student-lecturer relationship. This article contributes to the literature on the benefits and risks of using humor in teaching by conducting in-depth focus group analysis to provide a student-centered examination. FG participants appreciated the idea of lecturers making humor attempts because it can add variation to teaching, make the learning environment more comfortable, and help to develop rapport. Participants noted how lecturers using humor 'reveals' part of their personality, which makes them more approachable, rather than impersonal deliverers of knowledge.</p> <p>While these positives are encouraging, participants also highlighted several issues with using humor in lectures and seminars, relating to timing, frequency, relatability, appropriateness, and potential to offend. In particular, the power imbalance and unfamiliarity of the student-lecturer relationship can make students feel vulnerable, thus highlighting the unsuitability of banter or mockery at the students' expense. Participants noted they expect professionalism from academic staff, therefore, the subjective understanding of what is appropriate or inappropriate makes the use of humor in teaching difficult to judge. Serious, divisive, and personal topics were deemed inappropriate themes for humor, while the overuse of humor techniques has a detrimental pedagogical impact.</p> <p>FG data corroborates and develops the existing literature regarding the unintended and negative consequences of humor attempts. Firstly, a lecturer joking with a student, even if a good rapport exists between them, can unintentionally impact other students in the group. Secondly, Scenario 5 data showed that a lecturer, by mocking one side of a serious or contentious issue (case study example Brexit) may cause or reinforce division and cleavages within a group, thus "what will amuse some people may offend or alienate others" (Powell and Andresen [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref37">29</reflink>], 82). Thirdly, humor attempts that use popular or cultural references may alienate students, in particular international students, if the reference is insufficiently explained. Finally, building on Appleby's survey (2018), which sub-categorized "trying too hard to be funny" under "failed attempts at humor", data from Scenarios 1 and 3 revealed that students did not appreciate and could lose respect for lecturers who try too hard (to be funny or friendly), even if this was unintentional. The delivery needs to seem somewhat natural or effortless and laughing at your own joke is uncool.</p> <p>Participants confirmed that social conventions are defined by location. However, a friendly, rather than a serious, lecture persona can help make humor attempts more palatable. If lecturers adopt a friendly and approachable persona, build sufficient social capital with students, and establish a precedent for using humor in their teaching, it can help jokes land. Natalie (FG3) thought that if <emph>"you've got a serious lecturer, that out of the blue starts taking the mick out of you,</emph>[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref38">6</reflink>]<emph>I think I'd be a bit offended".</emph> However, even if an excellent rapport is established, there are limitations on what can be considered acceptable in a higher education institute. As Audritt ([<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref39">3</reflink>]) noted, a joke about cancer could be funny in a comedy club but would be unacceptable in a hospital, this indicates lecturers' humor attempts need to be appropriate for lecture/seminar locations. Findings from Scenario 5 suggest that, without suitable explanation and framing, satire may be an ineffective humor tool. Despite the political importance of this humor type, as a means to critique the powerful, FG data suggests that lecturers should avoid controversial or divisive subjects. Likewise, a comedian could routinely make awkward and overly personal self-deprecating remarks, but Scenario 6 findings indicated this is less acceptable from an academic in an educational setting. Alternatively, lecturers can empower students to determine what humor they perceive as appropriate humor. Eve and Anika (FG1) mentioned a lecturer who facilitated "mock current affairs" discussions to engage them during online sessions and understand their level.</p> <p>Findings on the timing and intellectual level of humor attempts reinforce the need for educating before subverting with humor. While discussing scenarios 3, 4 and 5, participants discussed how humor attempts can be effective breaks or segues to the lecture, but also deploying them after key lecture content is more effective.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"give a meme after they've explained that point, now the students understand the meme. So whenever they read it, they might laugh at it, because at least they understand that part."</emph> (Ryan, FG1)</item> </ulist> <p> <emph>"And then at the end of it (a complicated subject), the joke is just like trying to relax for a little bit."</emph> (Eve, FG1)"</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <emph>"I always think it's best at the end of a lecture to leave on. You're leaving with a bit of an analogy to draw on."</emph> (James, FG2)</item> <p></p> <item> <emph>"When memes and cartoons are used in lectures ... it often summarizes a point quite well."</emph> (Courtney, FG3)</item> </ulist> <p>Additionally, one participant noted that lecturers should make jokes that would be widely understood by undergraduates, thus corroborating Appleby's categorization of "failure to understand students' level of understanding" as a failed humor attempt.</p> <p> <emph>"...if it's something that you find hilarious, because you have a PhD in it, then go and joke about that with your lecturer friends. And making really niche jokes about specific people or a very specific scenario that you know a lot about, that perhaps an undergraduate wouldn't know, then you lose me at that point."</emph> (Victoria, FG3)</p> <p>Participants acknowledged how lecturers' relative position of power over students impacts the reception of humor attempts, thus making integrating humor in teaching challenging. The positive findings from Scenario 1 and 6 demonstrated how these humor attempts could improve the student-lecturer relationship, create a level of equality between students and lecturers (FG2 and 3), or break down the lecturer-student distance (FG1). Scenario 2, in particular, highlighted that lecturers' position of power makes mocking or banter inappropriate. For example, Kelly (FG2) noted how she would not appreciate any banter as <emph>"I don't have a very close relationship with most of my lecturers"</emph> and Victoria (FG3) thought that the <emph>"student-lecturer relationship is not necessarily strong enough to make a humorous comment like that and for it to land the way they expect."</emph></p> <p>Lecturers who wish to reap the social and pedagogical benefits of using humor in their teaching should carefully consider the risks, as perceived and articulated by undergraduate students:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> Memes or analogies and references can be useful summary and explanatory tools, but their overuse can reduce students' perception of teaching quality, waste lecture time, and make lecturers appear unprofessional.</item> <p></p> <item> Joking about serious, sensitive, and controversial political issues is very difficult because it carries the risk of offending or being insensitive, even if this is unintentional.</item> <p></p> <item> Making humor attempts at the expense of students is a high-risk strategy that could work, if an appropriate rapport is developed. Despite one-on-one rapport, this approach might not be well received by other students.</item> <p></p> <item> Professional level self-depreciation can help build rapport but overly personal comments, that mock appearance or life events, could make students feel awkward or uncomfortable.</item> </ulist> <p>If lecturers were apprehensive about incorporating humor into their pedagogical approach, the focus groups noted that, alternatively, teaching with enthusiasm and using relatable examples were highly appreciated.</p> <hd id="AN0163824102-14">Acknowledgements</hd> <p>The author would like to thank the students who participated in the lively and insightful focus groups.</p> <hd id="AN0163824102-15">Ethical approval</hd> <p>Ethical approval was granted by The School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University, UK. Date: 8 September 2020. 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Physics Education 45 (5): 539 – 543. doi: 10.1088/0031-9120/45/5/013.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0163824102-19"> <title> Footnotes </title> <blist> <bibtext> A scoping review on the use of humor in teaching, across several disciplines, identified that it can facilitate comprehension (Garner [13]) (Özdoğru and McMorris [28]) maintain student interest (Hellman [20]), increase students' interest and retention (Shatz and Helitzer [32]), improve student perceptions of learning (Wanzer and Frymier [38]), motivate students (Goodboy et al.[16]) facilitate rapport (Granitz, Koernig, and Harich [17]) and make lecturers more approachable (Appleby [2]). Furthermore, as students experience high levels of stress and anxiety, using humor can relax the students (Kher, Molstad, and Donahue [22]), "a wide range of low-risk humor techniques can be very effective in reducing anxiety and improving learning and performance" (Berk [7], p. 88) and Fortson and Brown ([11]) noted students preferred instructors who used humor. These findings are confirmed across disciplines as studies on Statistics (Berk [7]), Social Science and Physical Science (Nesi [27]), Psychology (Appleby [2]), Physics (Worner, Romero, and Bustamante [40]), Chemistry (André [1]) Medicine (Narula et al.[26]), Nursing (Englert [10]), and English as a foreign language (Rafiee, Kassaian, and Dastjerdi [30]) demonstrate numerous benefits including increased student subject engagement and improved critical analysis skills.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Interview conducted by the author.https://<ulink href="http://www.danielaudritt.com/">www.danielaudritt.com/</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> The United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2019) Brexit III. HBO. Available at https://<ulink href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBQfSAVt0s&t=870">www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBQfSAVt0s&t=870</ulink></bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> British slang for mocking or teasing.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Alexander P. Martin</p> <p>Reported by Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref26"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref27"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref35"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref36"></nolink>
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  Data: It's a Bit Inappropriate: UK Students' Negative Perceptions of Using Humor in Teaching Politics
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Martin%2C+Alexander+P%2E%22">Martin, Alexander P.</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2364-5613">0000-0003-2364-5613</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Political+Science+Education%22"><i>Journal of Political Science Education</i></searchLink>. 2023 19(2):231-249.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Negative+Attitudes%22">Negative Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Humor%22">Humor</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Political+Science%22">Political Science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22International+Relations%22">International Relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Student+Relationship%22">Teacher Student Relationship</searchLink>
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  Data: Existing literature on using humor in teaching identifies several social and pedagogical benefits, ranging from making students feel more comfortable and interested in the subject matter to facilitating a critical pedagogy approach. However, there are several risks associated with humor attempts that are detrimental to learning and to student experiences. Through analyzing qualitative data from three focus groups (FGs) with 2nd and 3rd year Politics and/or International Relations (Pol & IR) students, this article advances a student-centric understanding of the pitfalls of using humor in content delivery. While humor is often subjective, timing, frequency, established conventions, subject matter, and lecture persona all impact how students perceive humor used by lecturers. This article juxtaposes existing literature on approaches to using humor in teaching, and its pedagogical benefits, with empirical evidence of student perspectives and expectations to highlight the practical challenges and risks of including humor attempts in effective Pol & IR teaching.
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