Funny girl
Exploring the impact of teaching and learning humour in GCSE English language
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21548030 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rebekah Lord (Head of English and Futures, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 318-334 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | English in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0425-0494 • E-ISSN: 1754-8845 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/04250494.2025.2589435 |
| OpenAlex | W4416615563 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
This study explores the relationship between girls’ confidence, humour, and academic risk-taking in the secondary English classroom. While research shows girls’ confidence often declines during adolescence, humour has been linked to improved persuasive skills and professional success for women. The investigation seeks to understand barriers preventing girls from using humour and whether targeted teaching strategies can encourage it. Methods include surveys, teacher and pupil interviews, and classroom interventions. Findings indicate that simplified tasks and exemplar texts help girls experiment with humour, while barriers include low confidence, limited preparation time and heightened social anxiety – particularly among Year 10 girls. Importantly, their willingness to take academic risks proves central to their engagement. The study concludes that embedding opportunities to use humour in English lessons can promote creativity, improve persuasive writing for GCSEs and build confidence. Iterative practice and consistent encouragement across schooling are recommended to support this growth
English as a second language · English language · Language acquisition · Language assessment · Language proficiency · Teaching method · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Humor Studies and Applications · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition
Visible Learning for Teachers
Research Methods in Education
Dialogue and the Development of Children's Thinking
Examining the effects of classroom discussion on students’ comprehension of text
Cognitive Load During Problem Solving
The Hidden Life of Girls
(Un)funny women
Children's Participation Rights in Research
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |