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Article Title: Teachers' Perception of Humor and Laughter as Pedagogical Tools for Promoting Learning in Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa, Nigeria
by Jacob Omede and Daku, Noah Jimba

Abstract:
This paper examined the knowledge of teachers of Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa, about the pedagogical relevance of humor and laughter in view of their consequentiality to teaching and learning and how they could be used to encourage classroom attendance for learners' who misunderstand "academic freedom" to be truancy, absenteeism and lateness to classes. Areas of close examinations were the educational relevance of humor and laughter and how they could impact on learning, the various types of humor available to the teacher for use, the forms that humor could take to make it effective and possible hindrances to effective use of humor in achieving desired goals. Five research questions were drawn from the five purposes established for the study. The data for the study were collected from 120 teachers in the college through accidental sampling procedure using 42 item designed questionnaires by the researchers. The questionnaires were of a four-point likert type. The acceptable mean score was 2.50, meaning that any item with a mean score of 2.50 and above is accepted as positive while scores below 2.50, were termed negative and rejected. The data were analyzed using tables, means and standard deviations. The findings of the study included that teachers are aware about the educational benefits of laughter, that humor and laughter could make teaching and learning to be fun, improves relationships between the teacher and students as well as between the students themselves. Recommendations were that teachers should have senses of humor and should not be afraid to use them, should use humor and laughter to contribute to class unity and that humor should not be used to run any student down; it should not be on disability and should not be delivered through insults and sarcasm among others.

Keywords: teachers' perception, Humor, laughter, tools, promoting, learning.

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