Attitudes of Sport Sciences Students Toward the Use of Humour in Education

This study examines pre-service physical education teachers' attitudes toward using humour in education based on various demographic variables. Significant differences were found according to participants' gender, level of physical activity, daily use of humour, family humour climate, academic department, and year of study. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27 through t-tests, ANOVA, and Cohen's d. The reliability of the attitude scale was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha of .842. The findings indicate that female participants showed more positive attitudes than males. Likewise, individuals who exercise regularly, use humour in daily life and were raised in urban environments exhibited more favourable attitudes toward educational humour. Those interested in team sports also demonstrated more positive attitudes than individual sports participants. A clear trend was observed in which attitudes improved as academic levels increased. These results highlight humour's pedagogical value in the classroom, including enhancing attention, reducing anxiety, improving motivation, and strengthening interaction. Therefore, teacher education programs should integrate content aimed at the ethical and constructive use of humour. The study concludes that humour is a multifaceted instructional tool influenced by individual and contextual factors.