AbstractsEducation Research & Administration

Humour, as an instructional approach is used to facilitate learning and it has been found to have immeasurable benefits to nursing education (Ulloth, 2003b; Chabeli, 2008). However, the use of humour is a challenging activity, especially in nursing education, owing to the profession’s serious nature. Previous studies recommended continued exploration of the teaching and learning situations in order to improve the way nursing education students are educated. Despite the studies conducted about the use of humour to facilitate learning, there is still an absence of guidelines to assist nurse educators to use and integrate humour into the teaching content to enhance the learning of learner nurses at a nursing education institution in Gauteng. The purpose and objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of learner nurses regarding the effects of humour in facilitating learning in order to describe the guidelines to facilitate learning through humour at a nursing education institution in Gauteng. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and phenomenological research design that is contextual in nature was employed (Burns & Grove, 2009:54; Mouton, 1996:102– 107). A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select participants. The study was conducted into two phases. Phase one consisted of the exploration and description of the experiences of learner nurses with regard to the effect of humour in facilitating learning, through focus group interviews. Phase two of the study consisted of a conceptualization of the findings and a description of guidelines to facilitate learning through humour at a nursing education institution in Gauteng. Tesch’s qualitative open coding method of data analysis (in Creswell, 2012:244 - 245) was used to analyse the data obtained. Trustworthiness was ensured in accordance with Lincoln and Guba (1985:316-327). Ethical considerations were observed using DENOSA’s ethical standards (DENOSA, 1998:7). The three main categories that emerged from the data were positive effects of humour, negative effects of humour, and the effects of an absence of humour. These main categories and sub-categories in conjunction with their related themes were conceptualized and supported by the relevant literature.