What if… “joy” and “fun” led innovation in teaching and learning?

"There is a three-letter word which I cherish in the education process, but is rarely expressed, and that is... "joy"... I consider that education is a joyous, fulfilling activity, and this dimension of joyous engagement should be more emphasised." (Professor Emeritus John Coolahan)

What if… “joy” and “fun” led innovation in teaching and learning?

Many systems have introduced positive reform agendas while within schools there are feelings of being overwhelmed by both the current conditions and the prospect of change. At least in part, the challenge relates to generally turbulent times that extend beyond education, often referred to as Turbulent Uncertain Novel Ambiguous (TUNA) or Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous (VUCA) times that are complex and unpredictable. The result is that schools and education systems continue to struggle to transform in positive and sustainable ways.

In general, futures approaches provide a way to respond to these challenges. What if… as part of this work we placed some claims on the futures to try and shape what we want. For example, in education, what if… a missing ingredient for transformation was a focus on “joy” and “fun” in teaching and learning?

The neuroscience of “joy”

A focus on fun and joy in learning and teaching provides an opportunity to bring together neuroscience research about learning as well as well-being research. At a time of rapid change, a focus on fun and joy can also ameliorate the challenges of disengagement and feelings of being overwhelmed.

From the perspective of neuroscience, fun and joy in the classroom can support acquisition of knowledge, brain development, and achievement. Trust is a key factor associated with joy and productivity.

“Joy” and agency

From a well-being perspective, a focus on fun and joy in learning is linked to student voice and choice and requires teachers to know the students in their class. There is also a relationship with developing student “self-regulation and responsibility for their achievement”. Relationships with other students and a positive, engaged teacher can also influence the sense of joy and achievement. These factors support a “readiness to learn” that makes learning meaningful and important to the learner. A focus on happiness in support of learning is part of a broader group of research about health as a foundation for learning achievement.

When the curriculum provides space for students to influence the learning, there is potential for diverse cultures and identity to be utilised through a strengths-based approach that provides scope for personalisation of learning. A study by Omidire et al. found that:

Participants in this study unanimously agreed that one of the ways to promote the joy of learning and teaching is to acknowledge that there are multiple ways of thinking, thus necessitating multiple ways of teaching. There is ample evidence in research that neither “teacher-centric” nor purely “student-centred” teaching helps the students to learn effectively (Bidabadi et al. 2016; Northedge 2003; Rantala and Määttä 2012; Seneechal 2017).

According to participants in the study, technology can play an important role in promoting joy in learning by accommodating a wider variety of student perspectives.

What if we required a focus on “joy” and “fun” to be a fundamental criteria for change? How might this act as a catalyst for transformation that is desired and beneficial?