DefinePK

Abstract

This research was conducted to design and validate a Teacher Humour Scale (THS) in the Pakistani context, where no context-specific and psychometrically reliable tool currently exists to measure humour among university-level educators. Although humour has long been recognized as an important pedagogical strategy to reduce anxiety, increase engagement, and strengthen teacher–student relationships, most available scales either measure humour as a general personality trait or have been developed in non-academic or school-based contexts. This study sought to address that gap by constructing and validating a scale suitable for higher education teachers in Pakistan. A pool of twenty items was developed and piloted on a sample of 300 university teachers from public sector universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) identified four factors with five items each: Self-Enhancing Humour, Affiliative Humour, Aggressive Humour, and Self-Defeating Humour. Reliability and validity were established through composite reliability, content validity, and convergent and discriminant validity analyses, confirming that the scale was both robust and contextually relevant. The Teacher Humour Scale contributes to educational assessment by offering a reliable self-assessment tool for university teachers, reflecting their pedagogical use of humour. Beyond filling a theoretical gap, it has practical implications for teacher training, professional development, and curriculum design. The scale may be used to foster reflective teaching, improve classroom climate, and promote student engagement through effective and culturally relevant humour.